Jamal Crawford: Suns will have more success in playoff setting
Mar 5, 2024, 8:47 PM
Jamal Crawford #11 of the Phoenix Suns, right, speaks with teammate Devin Booker #1 during the first half against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center on October 20, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
(Photo by Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Optimism has run rather dry in the Valley over the past few days for the Phoenix Suns.
With the team falling to seventh in the Western Conference standings at the beginning of a grueling stretch of games and star guard Devin Booker spraining his ankle, hope for a deep playoff run is dwindling.
TNT analyst and 20-year pro Jamal Crawford, however, still sees some light at the end of the tunnel.
“I think they’re absolutely on the right path,” he told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Tuesday. “I think to be honest with you they’re built for the playoffs. I think they’ll have more success there. I think this right now is getting a rhythm, getting habits.”
When describing the strengths and weaknesses of the Big 3, Crawford mentioned health as a shortcoming that has not allowed the Suns to get enough time together to show who they are and can be.
“In spurts they’ve just looked absolutely dynamic and I’m holding onto that hope that that’s who they’ll be in the playoffs,” Crawford said.
The three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner who played one season in Phoenix as a teammate of Booker’s referenced the late 2000s Boston Celtics with a Big 3 of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Crawford said that Boston squad had to take time to feel each other out. And that’s what Crawford thinks this group needs.
“When you have a Big 3 like they have, I really believe it’s just going to take time. … With these three guys, you got two guys that are really young and KD is still at such a high level we can say he’s young as well in that way who can still get it done at the highest level,” he said. “So that’s just gonna take time to work out the kinks.”
