14 players in a new system: Javaris Crittenton

by Mike Prada on Sep 9, 2009 9:54 AM EDT in Coaching

Also see: An introduction to the series | Mike James | Javaris Crittenton player evaluation

Javaris Crittenton is Ernie Grunfeld's latest prospect crush. The 21-year old point guard was acquired in midseason in a trade that also saw the Wizards swap Antonio Daniels for Mike James. The fact that Ernie added salary to acquire Crittenton despite the Wizards being up against the luxury tax should give you an idea of Ernie's feelings about the guy.

Crittenton came along really slowly as he languished in Ed Tapscott's dungeon of bad play, but a good attitude and several injuries eventually led to more playing time by the end of the year. While Crittenton's play only improved in the sense that he got more minutes, he did display some flashes of being an effective NBA player. He still lacks a jumper and committed way too many turnovers, but he did display aggressiveness going to the basket and some pesky defense. One thing you could always say about Crittenton is that he is actively trying to make plays. That fearlessness is a good thing for a point guard if properly harnessed.

The question is, will Crittenton get a chance to harness that energy under Flip Saunders? Jump with me to discuss.

Why he might: Much like with Mike James, the backup point guard minutes are there for the taking. Crittenton ran Flip Saunders' offense in Summer League and the Wizards really struggled to play within the system when he was off the floor. The one game Crittenton missed was against Denver, and the Wizards responded with 19 turnovers and a disorganized offensive attack in a seven-point loss. During Summer League, Crittenton was very under control and wasn't making the type of kamikaze drives to the basket that he made during the season.

Why he might not: Crittenton's inability to shoot will really hurt him under Flip. Flip has always preferred lead guards who carried with them the threat to stroke a jumper (Terrell Brandon, Sam Cassell, Chauncey Billups). Crittenton doesn't have that and didn't show much improvement in Summer League. He also still struggles with out-of-control drives, and he may break too many plays to be trusted in Flip's system that provides a lot of freedom to the point guard.

My best guess: I'm going to go out on a limb and say Crittenton will play more minutes than anyone expects this year. Why? One reason is because I think Flip is going to want to rest Gilbert Arenas a lot more than the previous regime did, and I suspect the coaching staff will soon discover that Randy Foye is better cut out to be playing off the ball. Another is that I suspect the coaching staff will come to love Crittenton's work ethic and capacity to learn, if they don't already. Finally, Crittenton has a leg up on other backup point guard options like Foye and James because he has the experience of running Flip's sets in Summer League. On a team where everyone is going to be learning something new, that experience will be very valuable in vaulting him up on the depth chart.

Now, "more minutes than anyone expects" is probably 10-15 minutes tops, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him get that amount of time, even with the Wizards' backcourt depth.

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Comments

i wouldn't be shocked if he got playing time

but if everyone is healthy, i would be surprised.

i imagine it would have to come at someone’s expense: stevenson, young, or foye.

by DarrellWalkerFan on Sep 9, 2009 11:23 AM EDT reply actions

I agree with DWFan

I think Foye will get the backup minutes with some possibly going to DSteve.

I think Critt will be on the bench and will play during garbage time or if there is an injury.

by MR on Sep 9, 2009 11:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Yup. Garbage time or injury only

Crittenton can’t shoot and doesn’t have the passing skills of a true PG. There isn’t room for him in a “win now” lineup. He’s a 3rd string PG right now.

There is at least some reason for optimism because he is big, athletic, and very young. He may one day add a jumper and force himself into the lineup, but I think it’s unlikely this year.

by nate33 on Sep 9, 2009 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions

10-15 minutes is probably a bit much

And maybe he doesn’t deserve them because he sucks.

But in thinking about what will actually happen, I doubt he just gets garbage time minutes with so few options behind Arenas. Foye’s flopped as a PG in his career under pretty much the same regime in Minnesota (Randy Wittman at least), so I suspect he’ll get more minutes at SG than PG, leaving Critt to fight with Mike James for scraps. I suspect Critt wins that battle under this coach.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Sep 9, 2009 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions

You don’t think Foye can fill in 10-15 minutes? Maybe DSteve plays 5?

by MR on Sep 9, 2009 3:39 PM EDT up reply actions

At point guard in this system?

No.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Sep 9, 2009 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions

I think you will like Foye better there than Critt

If we all agree Foye’s better at the 2 than the 1, there’s still the problem of how to get him, Nick, and Miller enough minutes. That means you’re going to see him spend time at PG because the combination of him and Nick or Miller is better than the the combination of him and Crittenton.

by RamV on Sep 9, 2009 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Crittenton will play more minutes than anyone expects this year.

Mike, you’ve already stated several reasons why Crittenton may become the backup PG….
1. More rest for Gilbert -means more minutes for the backup
2. Randy Foye is better utilized as a SG
3. Crittenton’s work ethic and ability to learn…
4. His experience in Summer League (that one is weak)

I’ve got two more:
5. Mike James sucks, and there aren’t any other options except Crittenton
6. Flip knows James will be moved before the Feb trade deadline – oh, and did I already say he sucks?
7. Flip can afford to play Critt early in the year, to see if he improves (knowing that he may NEED him after James is gone)

Develop the kid NOW; early in the season. Play him 12-15 minutes a game. If he doesn’t pan out, use Mike James’ expiring contract to get another important piece (and maybe also get a throw in inexpensive veteran PG like Brevin Knight, Kyle Lowry or Royal Ivey)….

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Sep 9, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree with Ram, if you don’t play Foye at the 1 for a few minutes per game then he’s just not going to get a lot of minutes.

by MR on Sep 9, 2009 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Actually

I think that Young and Miller will both have great years…. not so much for Foye…

Just my thoughts…

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Sep 9, 2009 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't mind you disagreeing with me

But don’t totally ignore my point when you reply to me. How can you say there are no other options besides Crittenton? Foye is explicitly an option. Just because he’s better at SG (a point I agree with) doesn’t mean that’s not true. And I think I put together a solid view as to why that would be. The minutes Critt gets will come at the expense of Foye, Young, Stevenson, and James. I don’t mind the last two, but would prefer that Nick see time over Javaris. And nobody who wants to see this team win should prefer to see Javaris take minutes from Randy.

I’ve made the following point before, so forgive me, but if Flip’s going to play a tight rotation and still try to play our best guys Foye is going to get about half his minutes or more at the point. (I also think it means he’ll be our starting SG, but that’s a different story.)

by RamV on Sep 9, 2009 9:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Just had dinner with a Twolves fan. His take was that Foye got better at PG as the season went on. That he’s not a PG, but 10-15 per game is reasonable.

by MR on Sep 10, 2009 12:16 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

I was not ignoring your point

I was actually responding to Mike…. but now that you mention it… I do disagree with your point.

I don’t like Foye – he’s 25 years old and has had 7 full years (4 at Villanova and 3 in the NBA) to show that he’s a legitimate NBA Point Guard….and he has yet to prove it, despite the fact that he maintains he’s a PG.

I don’t like him at the back-up PG spot for the Wizards. He’s NOT a Point Guard…. At least he’s proven in Minnesota that he’s not a “Flip Saunders” style Point Guard – although he might be pretty good as a non-designated “guard” in Eddie Jordan’s Princeton Offense.

I don’t like Foye as a SG either (6’3" in shoes) – he’s too short to guard the bigger 2’s in the Conference – and there are a LOT of them…… like ATL Joe Johnson (6’7"), ORL Vince Carter (6’6"), PHI Andre Iguodala (6’6"), BOS Ray Allen (6’5"), CHI John Salmons (6’6"), CLE Anthony Parker (6’6"), DET Richard Hamilton (6’7"), MIA Quentin Richardson (6’6"), MIL Michael Redd (6’6"), etc….. etc…. etc…. We have better, and bigger options in Mike Miller (6’8") and Nick Young (6’7").

At the Trade Deadline, it’s my opinion that Mike James and Randy Foye will be leaving the Wizards.

So, you and I are of different minds…. You like Foye as a SG and sometimes back-up PG for the Wizards… and I don’t.

I am also, apparently, more enamored with Crittenton than you are…. Unlike some others that think Crittenton should be a SG, I see him as a “pure”, pass-first Point Guard. Critt, I believe, can become (emphasis on CAN BECOME) the kind of PG that Flip likes (big, strong, long, with quickness, a pass first mentality, good defender, terrific ball-handler with BOTH hands, unselfish, good rebounder, gets to the FT line). In addition, there are things that Javaris brings that Flip has never really had in a PG….. athleticism, and the ability to finish strong at the rim. The only thing Crittenton lacks is experience (which will reduce his TO’s) and a reliable jump shot. Two things that can be fixed, with playing time and hard work. At 21 years old, Crittenton surely has a lot more room to grow….

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Sep 10, 2009 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions

Your argument is basically that you don't like him.

Foye is our 6th or 7th player. He may not be a PG, but he’s a better PG than Crittenton is, and having him on the floor rather than JC improves our chances of winning. I like Javaris, too, but he’s not good enough to get serious minutes on a potential contender.

by RamVA on Sep 10, 2009 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions

He [Foye] may not be a PG, but he’s a better PG than Crittenton is, and having him on the floor rather than JC improves our chances of winning.

Agreed

nbaroundtable

by NBR on Sep 11, 2009 4:10 AM EDT up reply actions

Also Agreed

I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about Foye – hardly seen him play. But I know Crittendon from this past year, and he just isn’t good.

With a team as ‘deep’ as ours, we don’t need to be playing Crittendon to rest Arenas – we have plenty of great guards to fill the minutes.

And I agree that Foye will be better at PG than Crittendon.

My swag was phenomenal.

by se7en on Sep 11, 2009 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions

rook, i see your point

but i hope you’re wrong on that one.

i’m rooting for foye to break out this year.

by DarrellWalkerFan on Sep 10, 2009 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Great call

“I’ve got two more:
5. Mike James sucks, and there aren’t any other options except Crittenton
6. Flip knows James will be moved before the Feb trade deadline – oh, and did I already say he sucks?
7. Flip can afford to play Critt early in the year, to see if he improves (knowing that he may NEED him after James is gone)

by qthaballa on Sep 11, 2009 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions

And yes

Mike James does suck

by qthaballa on Sep 11, 2009 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions

i think he will see 5 to 6 mins a game this year but you never know he might just bust out and become a superstar but yeah 5 or 6 mins if he shows his game right

by eltacoman on Sep 9, 2009 3:54 PM EDT reply actions

"Street Clothes"

I’m hoping Javaris works hard to earn about eight ‘change of pace’ minutes per game, but I’m afraid his nickname will end up being the subject line of my comment (via my boy @docfunk).

Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It.net and Bullets Forever.

by Kyle Weidie on Sep 10, 2009 2:12 PM EDT reply actions

I think Mike Miller is going to play some at point forward/guard leaving Crittenton out

Tis true that Crittenton is the only “true” PG on the roster and I’m sure that under other circumstances he might be able to earn some minutes.

But I don’t see any way he can crack the rotation. Any way you shake it, he’s behind Arenas, Foye, Miller, Young and probably Stevenson on the depth chart in the backcourt. There are simply not enough minutes for a player as raw as Crittenton to get run.

Mike Miller is a facilitator and maybe more of one than Foye. Arenas will play 34 minutes (?) at the 1, and the remaining 14 will be split by Miller/Foye IMO.

by JonathanJoseph on Sep 10, 2009 3:54 PM EDT reply actions

That's an interesting possibility

And a good variation that may fit in line with Flip’s offense. You could play Miller and Foye together and have them interchangeably play PG and SG on offense.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Sep 11, 2009 8:23 AM EDT up reply actions

Crittenton

I am a big fan of Javaris Crittenton’s raw talent. He’s got an extremely enticing package and he could become one heck of a player in the NBA.

Unfortunately, though, we’re two years into his career and there’s been a lack of progress.That, above, coupled with (1) superior player options on the roster (2) the team’s desire to try and contend for a title … make this a bad situation for Crittenton to get court time and develop further. He just hasn’t shown enough to beat out the other players, or to play ahead of superior players because of his potential (the lack of progress = lower likelihood of Javaris fulfilling his potential).

I think Crittenton will be the third string point guard and that he’ll only play in emergency situations (injuries/foul trouble). He should consider trying to move on because it’s very unlikely that things will work out here in Washington for him … although maybe if Foye leaves in 12 months time, maybe then he’ll have another opening and opportunity to prove himself.

nbaroundtable

by NBR on Sep 11, 2009 4:25 AM EDT reply actions

this will be his fourth year in the league

by DarrellWalkerFan on Sep 11, 2009 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions

He was drafted in 07, so it's his third year

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Sep 11, 2009 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions

and if you count actual playing time....

Javaris has had a total of 1853 minutes of playing time in his 2 seasons, playing for 3 different teams (and 4 different Coaches). Most of those 1853 minutes came in the last half of last year, with Arenas gone for the year, and after Stevenson and then Mike James were both injured; otherwise, we Wizards fans would have been treated to many more of Stevenson’s bricks, and Mike James’ horrible floaters.

Players need playing time to “develop” – and Washington has never been very good as an Organization developing players.

To put those minutes into perspective, Javaris has seen roughly 1/3 the time that Foye has had in his 3 years playing in Minnesota

Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......

by Rook6980 on Sep 11, 2009 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions