Who’s Better: Jamal Crawford Or Monta Ellis?

Jamal Crawford and Monta Ellis are two of the most exciting and explosive offensive players in the league, two microwaves that can heat up in a matter of seconds. Whether it is Crawford’s insane ballhandling or Ellis’ out-of-this-world speed, it’s hard not to love their games, even if the analytical crowd will often call them inefficient.

This year, they’re both playing some of the best ball of their careers, and there’s a chance they meet in the playoffs. Let’s hope that happens. For now, we’re arguing over who is better. Jamal Crawford or Monta Ellis… We argue. You decide.

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JAMAL CRAWFORD
Jamal Crawford is the second-best shooting guard in the Western Conference. Think about it and you’ll realize that sentence isn’t as unfounded and outlandish as you might have thought.

James Harden easily takes the nod as both best two guard in the West and NBA currently, but with Kobe Bryant‘s season derailed by multiple injuries and Manu Ginobili not having the same impact he once did–whether it’s because of age or Gregg Popovich‘s “veteran limit restrictions” no one knows for sure–Crawford is next in line. This, along with his new opportunity as a starter, have allowed Crawford to set a blaze to opponents.

Prior to his strained calf injury, Crawford had been averaging 29.4 PPG on 46.7 percent shooting from the field and 41.8 percent from three in seven games. Behind his and Blake Griffin‘s improved play, the Los Angeles Clippers became one of the hottest teams in the league during January and February, winning 19 of 26 games since 2014 started.

However, at 33 years old–soon to be 34–I am not foolish enough to believe that Crawford has suddenly jumped the barrier into superstardom. What I am saying is that the talent that many have known Crawford to possess for years is clicking in full force. He won’t join the ranks of the Bryants, Kevin Durants or even Carmelo Anthonys of the game, but with the ball in his hands, Crawford is just as dangerous as any of those previous three players I mentioned.

After spending seasons with the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors, Crawford really came into his own during the 2009-10 season with the Atlanta Hawks. Coming off the bench for the Hawks, Crawford poured in 18 PPG in 31 MPG and was awarded Sixth Man of the Year for his efforts. Following that year, Crawford had finally found his niche in the NBA, and that was as an offensive fire-starter off the bench, capable of swinging the tide of any game the moment he checked in.

Crawford’s career can be seen as a best case scenario for a player like Monta Ellis. Both players entered the league young (Crawford after one year at Michigan and Ellis straight from high school), both are much better on offense than defense, both played for the Warriors (teammates for most of the 2008-09 season), however, Crawford has become a trusted 13-year veteran that can help a championship-caliber team contend for a title and Ellis still is known only as a scorer.

At 6-5, with long, lanky arms, an ability to hit shots most players would never dream of taking, the way he heats up quicker than popcorn, and ballhandling skills that would earn him a spot in AND1 folklore, Crawford is one of the best offensive players in the league today. When Crawford is feeling it there are times where his team let’s him isolate his defender three or four straight possessions. And the embarrassments that follow live on forever thanks to YouTube.
-BRANDON JEFFERSON

Keep reading for the Monta Ellis argument…

MONTA ELLIS
I think any coach or fantasy owner would prefer to take a younger, quicker and more dynamic player in his prime age versus someone approaching the age of 35, becoming known as a shooter in their aging career. Better yet, after seriously thinking about it, forget about being known as a shooter now. Jamal Crawford has been a shooter throughout his career, since his third season with the Chicago Bulls where he averaged 6.5 three-point attempts per game. This is primarily the reason why Crawford averages a career 15.6 points per game.

There’s no denying that Jamal Crawford can handle the ball, shake and bake defenders to create his own shot, but one of the more underrated players in that category is Monta Ellis, who can create shots for himself almost as well as anyone.

We saw Ellis become a franchise player during his time with the Golden State Warriors. Ellis was just never given a fair chance with the players around him. Due to unfortunate circumstances, it eventually became an easy decision for the Warriors management to trade their high-energy shooting guard upon the arrival of Stephen Curry, electing to build around him rather than Ellis.

Until this day, I feel for Ellis, seeing the Warriors trade him and put players such as David Lee, Andrew Bogut and Andre Iguodala around Curry. Do you remember when Ellis had to settle for players like Andris Biedrins, Corey Maggette and a disgruntled Stephen Jackson, who demanded a trade out of Golden State before the start of the 2009-10 NBA season? Without knowing what to expect, the Warriors started showing signs of dysfunction in the beginning of that season. Curry was just a rookie then, while Ellis remained the face of the Warriors franchise. If the Dubs had Bogut, Iguodala and a bench with Harrison Barnes and Jermaine O’Neal around Ellis, you can argue that it would have likely taken the pressure off of him to score and play over 40 minutes per night during his final two full seasons with Golden State.

But can’t you agree, when you average 25.5 points and 5.3 assists per game in addition to playing over 41 minutes per night, that those numbers should get you the All-Star nod? Ellis’s final two full seasons with the Warriors were two straight years of being an All-Star snub.

For Ellis, I would take his 2007 NBA Most Improved Player award before Crawford’s 2010 Sixth Man of the Year award. I would also take the two-time NBA minutes leader in 2010-2011 over the NBA’s four-point plays leader.

Personally, I see Crawford as only an offensive shooter who can’t play a lick of defense. Sure, J-Crossover may be exciting to watch, but he really isn’t as exciting as Monta Ellis, who’s been known to make ridiculous moves. If he doesn’t give you a headache, I can’t name a quicker player today than seeing Ellis attack the rim. Just watch this:

Jamal Crawford is a career 35 percent three-point shooter, while shooting 41 percent from the field throughout his career. For the amount of threes he takes per game, his three-point shooting percentage doesn’t measure up to guys like Kyle Korver and Jodie Meeks. Ellis shoots 31 percent from beyond the arc, and has a career field goal percentage of 45.5 percent and has averaged at least two steals per game three times in his career. There’s too much praise for Crawford, who clearly isn’t better overall statistically than Ellis. Sure, Crawford’s played on better teams and has made the playoffs three times in his career versus Ellis’s two playoff appearances. But comparing their statistics and the type of players they are, Crawford is overrated. Ellis had what should’ve been an All-Star season twice in his career, but for some reason continues to remain one of the most underrated players this league has.
-TERENCE CHIN

Which player is better right now?

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