Friday, June 11th, 2010 at 8:00 am  |  18 responses

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SLAMonline Mock Draft: Jordan Crawford, No. 19

The dunker heard around the world.

by Jeremy Bauman

We’re tied 2-2 in the NBA Finals right now, and you want me to think about my 2010 NBA Draft pick?

Yep, that’s part of my GM job; not just to make the NBA Finals this year, but to turn around the minute that it’s done (whether we are victorious or conquered) and make a decision that could help or harm my franchise for many years to come.

No pressure though, of course. (Pause). Wait!!! There’s always pressure when you are a GM in the NBA. Just ask my boy Danny Ferry in Cleveland, well he used to be in Cleveland…..

Anyway, I know there are a few tough decisions that I have to make going in to this draft, such as:

A) Do I want to take somebody who will come in and contribute immediately or am I comfortable with more of a project?

B) Should I take a big man or a guard? I could go either way this year because we still have to resign Ray-Ray and could sign Nate Robinson too but still could use some extra fire-power there at the guard slot, plus Ray is getting old. And speaking of old, I have KG, and Rasheed coming back with Kendrick Perkins and Big Baby. So you can see that I could go either way with this depending on who I believe we will sign in free agency.

C) Lastly, should I take a high character guy or just go for the skill-set that I am looking for?

And with the 19th pick in the 2010 SLAMonline Mock Draft, the Boston Celtics select…

Jordan Crawford from Xavier University.

With Hassan Whiteside, the raw, 21-year-old center from Marshall, still on the board here, I do understand that the Celtics could use a big man here too. But I think the Celtics can address their need for a big man through free agency this year because they need a big who can come in and contribute right away in order to keep their title aspirations as high as they have been the past few seasons.

I watched Crawford play in his two years of college ball (including live at Indiana for a whole season), and he won me over with his potential as a playmaker and his big-shot making abilities, especially this year in the latter portion of the season and the NCAA Tournament. This ability will translate over to the NBA from the minute he walks on to the floor for his first game—the kid can flat out score.

Yes, there is the question of whether he shoots too many forced, ill-advised shots. But that is the very reason I draft him here. Crawford averaged 20.5 ppg on 46 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from three-point range this season for a Musketeers team that needed him to fill up the scoreboard to have chance to win.

For the Boston Celtics, he wouldn’t have to be that guy.

On the contrary, for the first few years of his career he could come off the bench and play either alongside Ray Allen or Rajon Rondo. Even though the Rondo and Crawford combo would not have ideal size, but they both boast length and quickness which could be trouble for other teams.

While playing behind all the veterans on the team Crawford would undoubtedly mature, which will in turn help him to take his game to the next level. He might not be as mature and high character a guy as some of the other players right now, but with the right people around him I believe he could get there.

The long bombing combo guard still has a ton to learn about shot selection in terms of time and situation but I love the way he‘s capable of knocking down tough, contested shots with range, shots most young players cannot make.

Danny Ainge has shown before that he doesn’t care about public perception of players, as he had taken on Marbury at the tale end of his breakdown. He should keep that trend going and take a player who will help the team win with instant offense off the bench and timely plays on D, no matter what the media says.

That is, if he has time to think about it.