Defensive Presence
Jamal Crawford’s defensive presence can be comical at times. I’ll say, there are times when I have don’t even notice Crawford is on the court when the Clippers don’t have the ball. But with the absence of Austin Rivers, it’s essential that Jamal makes the most of his efforts on the defensive end.
We’ve seen him have games where he can get three or four steals. We’ve also seen him guard the perimeter rather decently at times. But this is going to be a grind out series for the Clippers, and that’s exactly what the veteran shooter needs to do. Grind.
Dante Exum, Rodney Hood, George Hill, and Joe Johnson are all players that can light it up if there’s no one in front of them. So Crawford needs to make his presence felt. No, he doesn’t need to be a Chris Paul on defense, but he needs to shy away from that Ole defense we’ve seen so many times.
Step up, fight through screens, and get a hand in the face of the shooter is all the Clippers should be asking for.