The Crawford Files

What's up you guys!

I had to get the dust off my blog and get back to it.Games have just been coming really fast, seems like every other day, but I'll try and not have any more two-week breaks!

So where do we start...we just played Memphis. I'm actually on the plane as I write this. We're 5-3 right now and that's not bad considering that we're still adjusting and getting used to what Coach wants from us!

Man, Coach D is really good. He just has this rare quality of what play to call at what time, or how to stay in touch with his players. Whether that's physically, mentally, when to get on us and when to back off a lil bit....He's still getting used to us, as well, but the main thing he's doing is having us play together and compete on a nightly basis.

We're gonna have ups and downs, games we should win and don't and games people probably think we shouldn't win and do. It's a process and when your changing the culture and getting everyone to gel that's something that doesn't happen over night! It's almost like when you go to work, some days are better then others. Basketball is really fun right now, winning is a big part of that. It's amazing how wins can change your mood or how you feel or even how you're viewed. It can even change how you deal with your family and friends. Sometimes when you lose, you don't want to talk to anyone or want to be bothered (I've had a lot of that in the past).

But what I do know is that when you go through tough times, you appreciate the good times that much more. You don't take them for granted, you just enjoy them and stay in the moment as long as you can, because nothing's promised.

Gallo - I know how frustrating it is for him, coming from a different country and being a high draft pick. He wants to prove he's worth it. But he can't do that until he's healthy. But please believe me when I say whenever he is healthy, he will have an impact for our team in the future!

I want to thank you guys too, because after coming off the road, you see different arenas and some barely have any people there. You guys come night in and night out to support us, even when you're tough on us LOL. At least you're still there, so thanks!

You wanna know something CRAZY? I'm listening to my ipod as I write this and there's a song that I'm listening too that I used to listen to in high school. And when I listened to it, I used to look at posters of Iverson and Stephon before I went out and played sometimes....I never even told Steph that, but the crazy part about the story is that we sit right across from each other on the plane. Ten years ago, there's no way you would tell me this is exactly where I would be and how my life would've turned out....God doesn't make mistakes and I'm thankful for everything he's done.

Holla at you guys later....

JC

Sorry I missed a week, just had to finish up preseason and get a few more practices in before tonight. First off, I want to give a shout out to Patrick Ewing Jr. He's a hard worker, he's really talented and is a scary athlete. He will have a future in this league.

Honestly, I was really surprised by him getting cut, but I'm just hoping there's a bigger plan for him. I trust Mr. Walsh -- he's smart like that, so hopefully we'll see him again!

I watched all the games last night. Boston vs. Cleveland was a good game. I thought the Cavs had them, but Boston was able to just hang around and keep the pressure on those guys all night. The one thing about Boston is they really cover for each other and they play so hard. That's why they won...

The next game was the Lakers and Blazers. I watch the Blazers more then any other team in the league (because of my friendship with Brandon Roy). They have expectations on them now, but they'll be fine......

All summer this is what you workout for.....this what you train for....this is it...another chance at redemption!

It's time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First things first . . . let's talk about the report that's making some national headlines.

The headlines read, "Crawford Doesn't Want Marbury Around." So if you read the story that came out in Marc Berman's blog, he goes on to say that while a writer was in front of Stephon's locker when Steph got out the shower, that there was some sort of argument and I'm in the background telling people to watch those guys argue.

Problem is the story WASN'T TRUE!!!

When Steph came out of the shower I was already gone out of the locker room! I did come back in the locker room to get my cell phone that I had forgot. I saw a lot of reporters around Steph's locker (they are always there) and I picked up my cell phone and left...So when I heard about this the next day, I went and told Steph about what Berman had wrote and told him that it wasn't true. Steph wasn't worried about it, but I didn't want him to have to read something like that before I could talk to him. That's how teams fall apart.

So after practice on Wednesday I planned on asking Berman about this blog or whatever he wrote. In typical Berman fashion after he writes something like this, he doesn't come the next day...LOL. And Berman is actually a good guy, but I guess he needed something to write.

But, anyway, today Berman does come to practice and afterwards he's interviewing Coach Dantoni and I go up and tap him. He stayed with his interview, so our PR person goes and tells Berman that I want to talk to him. So when Berman's finished, he comes over and the first thing he does is apoligize.

I say, "Marc, you can say I'm terrible, I'm weak, I'm a bad player...anything.You have that right. But don't lie on me."

I explain the situation to him and the same story from the locker room that night that I just told you guys and he says, "I was told that's what happened." I said, "So you didn't actually see it? This is just what you've been told. You've been around me four years, have I EVER did anything like throw a teammate under the bus?" He says "No," so then I said, "So why would I do it now? Why, when were trying to build team chemistry, do something like that?"

He couldn't really answer me, so I said, "Well, now I'm going to have to write about you on my blog." So there it is! Haaa...

Other than that, let me answer some of your questions and the comments that I've seen:

I think I'm going to be a great fit for the system. It's a lot of catch and shoot and that's fine, but I'll be able to make plays for myself and other people at different parts of the game...You guys shouldn't get to uptight by what your seeing now. It's PRESEASON!!!!. If we went 7-0 right now, that doesn't mean we're gonna be in the playoffs and if we go 0-7 that doesn't mean we won't....We will be exciting and we will win our share of games, but right now coach is trying to build everyone's confidence. So you'll see everyone taking shots or doing things that you're not used to seeing. But.Oct 29th things are for real...Judge us from there.

Oh yea, Baby Creezy, thanks for the youtube mix you did. I had already checked it out and it was one of my favorites from before.

JC

What's up you guys! Sorry I took a week off from my blog, but things have been speeding up with training camp,and preseason games coming up! Let's recap . . .

Media day:

Media day is always fun It's about 3 hrs long total, there's two parts of it. The first part is you always get in your uniforms for the first time and do all the pictures and stuff they want you to do...do all the tag lines and things like that they'll use in the arena when the season starts....That's the fun part. The second part of media day,is actually dealing with the media, they ask questions about the season, different players, coaching change, all the stuff you guys want to know...This year was different because the whole media day was about Stephon and if he wants to be here, does he want to be bought out,etc....They asked me about the situation and I said that it's not about if Stephon or me or whoever is here or not. The Knicks organization is bigger then any one player or person and ALL of our focus needs to be on making this team relevant again. I get along with Steph like I do all my teammates and as long as we all have the same common goal then we'll be ok....

Training camp:

I don't care what you do in the offseason to prepare for camp. That night before EVERYONE is nervous! It's just the nervous energy, not knowing what to expect. Different drills you will be doing; its hard work but it's cool! Our camp is different then anything I've ever seen....As you guys might expect we do alot of running, I mean ALOT. It's not punishment running, where you run 17's or suicides. It's all basketball-related...One drill we had to do was full court lay-ups and shoot jumpers in 2 minutes .Almost like a "weave"-type of drill but accelerated...Coach said we had to get over a 100 pts in 2 minutes. We were looking around like, 'Is he crazy?' LOL...The first time we did it we scored like 76, so he had us do it again and we saw how much harder we were gonna have to run and we got 106! It was good because your only as strong as the guy next to you. Everyone needs each other. Coach and his staff are really stressing teamwork and not caring about who gets the credit...

Preseason:

Some teams and players approach preseason differently. Usually with most teams they're trying to figure out who they're gonna keep or cut or what they'll rotation will be, so everyone uses it differently..Right now were just using different combinations. Coach is getting a feel for what works, what doesn't and what kind of talent he can utilize in his schemes...Me, personally? I'm just trying to get my timing back, get my legs underneath me, get use to playing in this new system and pick my spots. Work on defense, setting my teammates up...I'm not worried about shooting or scoring right now. I'll worry about that on Oct. 29...haha.....I was looking around the Toronto arena yesterday before the game started and playing in front of 20,000 fans every night is what I dreamed about as a kid. For some reason, just looking around brought back thoughts I had when I was a kid.. I would gave anything to be in the NBA playing at the highest level....sometimes when you're actually going through this you don't get a chance took take a step back and reflect. You think of the negative stuff that comes along with being in this position, what people expect from you, the many people you try to please...life is too short... God choose me to be in this position, he gave me the talent and it's up to me to do something more with it. You only go through this once, so I'm gonna make the most of it........

JC

What's up Everbody! This has been a pretty fun week so far, some things to catch up on so let's get right to it.

Monday: We did our normal workouts with the team and played 5-on-5 after that. Those are always pretty competitive - all the coaches come check it out, Mr. Walsh as well....Mr.. Mills even stopped by. It's fun to have all those guys watch to see what kind of combinations we can use and them get excited about how players are progressing and getting better.

Monday night I had a little surprise for my girlfriend. She always says I don't take her places so I had to be Mr. Romantic and take her out on the town a little bit. I took her to the premier of Spike Lee's new movie, Miracle at St. Anna....That was a powerful movie! It's about soldiers going through World War II. If you haven’t gotten the chance to see it, make sure you do! You will not be disappointed.

D-Lee, QRich, Nate, Anthony Roberson and Pat Ewing Jr. were also there, so it was cool to be with some of my teammates as well...That was also the first time I've seen Isiah since the end of last season. It was cool catching up with him and he sounds like he's doing good so that was good to hear...

Wednesday: I had to go to Boston for Reebok to do some promotional stuff -- photo shoots, media, etc. -- and have some meetings about the company and moving forward to the future. We talked about the new shoes that all Reebok athletes are starting this upcoming season off in: the Pump Omnis.

It's the 25th year anniversary of the original pump shoe that Dominique Wilkins made famous! He was there by the way, along with Jason Terry of the Mavs . . . I've known Jason for a while, ever since we were in high school in Seatle. But never really had the chance to talk to Dominique before. I was able to pick his brain about different things; going against Bird, his dunk contest with Jordan in Chicago, all the stuff us hoopaholics want to know about!. It was really cool being on the Reebok campus learning more about the product that you endorse, giving your input about different shoes and just interacting with the people that make the product. Talking to the people there it shows you don't have to be a professional athlete to do something you love to do and still have an effect on the sport you love!

Thursday: Team physicals took place today, I think we have one of the most extensive physicals out there .Our doctors, strength and conditioning coaches and trainers do a great job making sure were healthy and prepared. All the people behind the scenes you don't really see help keep this going. Next big thing is Media day on Monday, then off to camp!

Friday: GO SUPPORT THE LIBERTY TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They need your support. They are playing well and are in the conference finals. We all have to support each other!

What's up?!

I'm back in New York and before I even get started, let me tell you about something that made me feel good coming in at the airport. I was looking at the magazine stand (always look at the preseason mags to see how low they have us picked…lol), BUT this time I was on the COVER of two different magazines! Athlon Sports and Lindy’s.

I'm very humble, but to say the least I was very excited! That started the trip back the right way....

Before I get into what it's like to be back in New York, I have to say good-bye to my hometown of Seattle. The guys at SLAM Online came out to my house recently and we hung out. Matt Caputo wrote a blog about it, so check it out.

It feels good to be here in NY with the guys again. We've been working out real hard and getting up and down the court. Some guys are looking really good and in shape. We’re all still getting use to the new style of play but it will be fun and exciting for you guys to watch....

Just doing some of the things that we work on in drills, it will be tough to stop us once we start playing because the floor is so spaced and there so many different options....

So let me give you guys an update on what I’ve seen so far out of the guys who have been involved in the workouts:

Wilson Chandler: Wilson has gotten a lot better from last year! His range has improved -- his ball handling and his athleticism was always there…I think he's just more confident then anything now and it's showing. I think he'll have a really good year for us!

Danilo Gallinari: “Gallo” is still banged up a little bit,..so he's just been shooting and riding the bike...but this kid is very VERY confident!! He listens, works hard and wants to get better. Some of you guys may have booed him when we drafted him, but he is going to be a big time player for us one day!

Allan Houston: He’s back and looks a lot healthier than he did in his last comeback attempt last season...I think he may have rushed that one a little bit, but he looks a lot better this time! AND of course we all know his jumper is razor sharp!!!!!!! I can learn a lot watching him.

David Lee: We all know David's game by now - all out hustle, rebounds. The thing that will surprise you most is his jumper! He shooting it with so much confidence, I mean even three pointers! He shot one and I said to myself, "No way." And it went straight in.

Chris Duhon: Very solid, very unselfish. Can run a team. Makes good decisions, I'm going to like playing with him!

Nate Robinson: Still a blur. Shooting great and should be a great fit in this system, a la Barbosa! His athleticism still amazes me...

Pat Ewing Jr: Very athletic. Working on his jumper but has been shooting it pretty good. Can block shots, something we really need!

Jared Jeffries: Jared really knows how to play, He's a smart player. He does all the little things to help teams win. I think he'll go back to the Jared he was in Washington.

Q Rich: He’s really stepping up as one of the leaders. Seems rejuvenated. Working on his handle, He'll play like he did in Phoenix.

Mardy: Lost some weight, so he's moving better. Very smart, really good defender!

Anthony Roberson: Has been a lil banged up, but when he shoots he rarely misses! One of the best shooters on the team. He plays like Eddie House but with a better handle!

Eddy Curry: It will be a transition for him at first because he's used to posting up. But he'll be on the perimeter a lil bit more....he'll get better adapted to the system the more he does it...but we need him...

Zach Randolph: Zach loves to play and he's been scoring and rebounding, doing his thing. Him and Eddy have had some nice match-ups. They look better on opposite teams…(hahahah, just playing! I knew that would get a rise outta you guys!) I don't know what's gonna happen with all the trade talk and everything, but its good to see that, either way, he's not letting it affect him.

Danny Grunfeld: Ernie’s son. To be respectfully honest, he doesn't look like he can really play -- until you give him some space and he's hitting a jumper on you! But it's the quiet ones that get you...

Me: This will be very fun for me, This system is so wide open, so spaced! First day, I was aggressive offensively and making things happen. The next day I shot only three times in eight games, just to work on something different that day. I didn't play today, just rode the bike and did core. My back is a little sore (nothing serious!). I’ll be back on the court tomorrow.

That's all I got for now, but you guys keep leaving the comments and I’ll try to get some answers to your questions so we can keep the communication going!

JC

Wowwww!

Thank you guys for the comments, even the ones that weren't all positive. It means we have REAL fans out there that are gonna speak their mind.

The good ones, thank you guys. The ones that were bad, thank you too. I'm going to use all of them for motivation!! I LOVE reading all the comments because ALL of us want the same thing, and that's to win. That's the bottom line in New York. So keep writing what you feel and I'll keep answering!!

I noticed a couple of questions on there were, Is Eddy Curry in shape? The answer to that is, I haven't seen him, but everything I'm hearing is that he's working really hard this summer.

People are really down on Eddy, but the Eddy they saw last season isn't really Eddy. Yea, last year was a down year for him and he would be the first to tell you that...he puts more pressure on himself then anyone else could. I know he cares because after a lot of losses we would say, "If we could just get a couple of wins in a row..." It really bothered him... Our fans are hard on him because you guys see what he can be, how dominant at times he is, and when you guys don't see that all the time you wanna strangle him! LOL

People forget two seasons ago he averaged 19 pts. and 7 rebounds and some people were saying he should've been an all star....But I guess in this game you're only as good as your last shot, game, last season.....

Another thing I saw in the comments was people asking why don't I take the ball to the hoop more. I'll tell you myself that I settle too much for the jumper and let people off the hook. I agree because I believe I can get anywhere on the floor that I want to...and penetrating to the hoop is actually fun. It's good for my team, it helps gives us balance going back on defense...and ALL of the GREAT scorers get to the foul line.

But sometimes that's easier said then done because you're the focus of the other defense and you have to take what they give you. Sometimes it looks like it's just me and that guy guarding me at the top, but there's 4 other guys behind him looking to help!!

Today in my summer league game (I have my own summer league that I run at my old high school), I sat out and let my young gunners handle the other team...I had Isiaiah Thomas (he's going to the University of Washington), Abdul Gaddy (he's the #2 PG in high school basketball) and Tony Wroten, he's the #1 sophmore in America.....Those guys all put on a show and my nephew, Anthony, chipped in with 23 pts! It was fun whatching those young guys play against grown men AND outplay them!

Seattle basketball is definitely on the map. It's not New York, but we've come a looooong way! You guys will be hearing about these guys real soon.......

What's up Knicks fans? It's been a busy offseason with some positive steps taken by our team. I'm working out here in Seattle getting myself prepared for what I hope will be the start of something great for the Knicks. I can't wait for the first day....

But I know there is a lot of curiosity out there about our team and I know there are also a lot of skeptics...I feel the same way, too. I am feeling a lot of things this summer and I wanted to find a way to get these feelings off my chest. I hope you don't mind me jumping into the blog world. I admire how Gilbert Arenas has developed his blog into a place he can talk about things openly - and not just basketball. I think some people get the wrong idea about me because of the way I talk to the media....I don't say a lot of controversial things and I don't criticize people....but I have my thoughts on things that I usually keep to myself. Until now!

Ha..ha, just kidding. A little.

First off, let me start off by admitting that I do read the blogs every now and then. Maybe I shouldn't, but I like to know what our fans think and what people are saying...And not just always the positive stuff that they tell me when they see me in person (lol).....so let's address some topics head on that I've seen on Alan Hahn's Knicks Fix blog with fan comments and their complaints about me.....

THAT I'M NOT A WINNER: First off, you win as a team and you lose as a team...but I do understand that the better players and leaders on your team have to provide more then a younger player would. No, I've never played on a winning team since college. BUT this year I'll be playing for my ninth coach in nine seasons.

I've had a few disappointments along the way in Chicago and New York and also bad timing with injuries. I thought my best chance was two years ago, but then injuries to myself, David Lee and Q-Rich happened. What other team could lose basically three starters at one time and still have a chance to get to the playoffs? Then last year was a total mess. We never recovered from all that off the court stuff that happened! And that's not an excuse, that's just a fact. I still tried to come to play every single night. I didn't always play without making mistakes, but I was there every single night.

I know I have this label and I don't want it. I don't think I've ever been the kind of player who looked satisfied with losing.

DEFENSE: This is one of the biggest knocks on my game and this is an area that I want to and have to get better at. That's why when I play ball in the summer I always try to guard all the best offensive players that I can find because that, along with watching tape, is the only way I will get better at it.

It helps to have a scheme or set way that you play defense, as well. Bruce Bowen is such a good defender, not because he's the best one-on-one, but for the simple fact that he knows where to push you to on the court. He knows where his help is. That's what he's good at. No good defender can stop a good offensive player. They can try to make things tough, but let's be honest they can't stop them. But, again, this is something I WANT to be good at and, with the work I'm putting in, I WILL get better at!

SHOT SELECTION: This is the biggest area that I HAVE to improve on and where I'm criticized the most...and for good reason. I HONESTLY feel like I can make every shot that I take. You have to understand that's how I feel when I play. Some nights it happens but a lot of times it doesn't. And I believe this along with WINNING is the difference in me being a good player and a great player.

I'm going to continue to get better at it...I know you're probably thinking, 'he's in his ninth year, if it hasn't happened already, it won't.' There's some truth to that, but to me, I don't believe it. Like I said I'm going on my ninth coach in nine years and each had a different philosophy on how they wanted to use me. But through it all I've gotten better each year I've been in the league. And the best is still yet to come....

COACH D'ANTONI: I was really close with Isiah and didn't know who would be coming to coach us and was pretty nervous about that. When I found out it was Coach D'Antoni, I didn't know what to do. I was so excited because that's the style of ball I like to play. This is the best chance I may ever have at proving I belong as an elite player.

I went out and met with him in Vegas and we hit it off right away. Talked about our team, plans for the future and just talking to him you can tell that he really believes in his system and his coaching abilities. He's a straight shooter, I liked that.....

KNICKS FUTURE: I don't want to make any promises or guarantees because, personally, you guys have heard that every year and you have to be tired of it. I know I am.

JC

Jamal Crawford has something to say.

For the most part his game has done the talking as a high-scoring guard for the New York Knicks. But for the 2008-09 season, his ninth in the NBA, Jamal wants to tear the "Restricted Access" sign off the Knicks locker room door and welcome fans into the life of an NBA player.

Jamal plans to take you through his season with the Knicks -- a season of change and a fresh start with new president Donnie Walsh and coach Mike D'Antoni -- and share his thoughts about not just basketball and his quest to get the Knicks back into the playoffs, but all of his passions, from his hometown of Seattle (where the Sonics no longer exist...what?) to his new home-away-from-home in New York, to his work with his charitable foundation, to his favorite music, movies, styles and even the media.

Everything that's Crawful and Crawesome can be found here. This is his story, in his own words.

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