Measurements
Height: 6’5.25″ (without shoes)
Wingspan: 7’0.5″
Standing reach: 8’9.5″
Weight: 216.4 pounds
No step vertical: 28″
Max vertical: 34″
Background
Though he remains an unheralded prospect, Isaiah Crawford is one of the most NBA-ready players in the 2024 class.
The 22-year-old Fort Worth, Texas native capped off a five-year career at Louisiana Tech by sweeping the 2023-24 Conference-USA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards and made the all-conference team three times. He was a glaring omission from the NBA Combine list but did participate in athletic testing and scrimmages at the G League Elite Camp. Crawford bounced back to play all 64 games over the last two seasons despite tearing his ACL twice in the same knee, cementing himself as an NBA prospect in the process.
Strengths
Defensive versatility, two-way playmaking, attacking closeouts
Lockdown defender on the perimeter. Lateral mobility and strength combination makes him switchable 1-4 with strong, broad shoulders and noticeably long arms. Holds up well guarding smalls in space on the perimeter, shuffles and walls off bigger wings, beats and bangs with college bigs on the interior. Finished with a 5.7% BLK and 3.5% STL–only player in the NCAA to meet that threshold per BartTorvik. Unmatched versatility in steal and block production in this class. Isolation defense across the positional spectrum passes the eye and analytical tests, physical profile and athletic traits scream an immediate NBA translation defensively.
Walls off guards on drives, long strides and shuffles, keeps hands at his side and just bodies dudes with his chest. Great college defender on and off the ball that generated stocks and didn’t foul often. Hard to imagine he’s not an impact defender at the NBA level.
Efficient shooter on mid-volume, could stand to raise that volume but in his three highest volume seasons (low of 81 total 3PA) he’s at 42%, 41%, and 38%–projectable shooting given balanced, smooth mechanics. Draws hard closeouts in catch-and-shoot situations and leverages gravity to attack them and make plays off the bounce. One-or-two-dribble pull-ups look really smooth, stops on a dime to elevate and can shoot over contests with his length.
Good passer on the move and from a stationary position, got about an equal amount of reps as a pick and roll ball-handler and roll-man last season. Reads the game well in almost every aspect–picks his spots as a scorer, can turn the corner on a ball-screen or handoff and dissect a rotating defense, makes quick decisions in the short roll, also has a diverse skillset in the post as a scorer and passer. Dynamic offensive skillset that could succeed in a variety of roles.
Developed into a bit of a tough shot maker for last season as well. Career-high scoring output and was relied upon to make plays for teammates at times. End of shot clock release valve, pull-up game from elbow range and the dunker spot is really intriguing and diversifies his scoring ability. Carves out space with broad shoulders and strong core, uses fakes and deception to get defenders off-balance, full-extension finishes with touch. Sharp jab step on the perimeter, solid burst given injury history, functional handle and shot prep on the move, quality back-to-the-basket game.
Question marks
Long-term durability, scoring scalability
Two torn ACLs in the same knee, not an explosive athlete vertically or from a stand-still as a result but doesn’t seem to have lost a ton of foot speed, quickness or lateral mobility. Once he gets a rhythm as a ball-handler and can rock his defender back and forth a bit, he makes timely bursts towards the rim. Only needs a bit of space to finish too–absorbs contact and plays well off two feet to counter what he’s lost from a twice-torn ACL. NBA teams also might red-flag that, but there hasn’t been any rumor of that. Crawford’s knee seems to be good to go.
Crawford only has two seasons above three 3PA per game and 10 FGA per game. However, he was highly efficient in both seasons. It’s also worth mentioning that two of his five seasons were cut short by injury, so two of his three full seasons came with a high usage rate–the lowest was his junior year at 22.3% USG, and then he was at 25.5% USG each of the last two years. He also generated 5.1 FTA per game as a fifth-year. That’s enough volume and efficiency for me to project him as an efficient player in a lower-usage NBA role.
Overall outlook
High-feel 3&D wing with some secondary scoring ability is probably Crawford’s ideal NBA role. Would comfortably give him a guaranteed deal and think there’s a strong chance he contributes, albeit in a small capacity, from day one. High floor, low-ish ceiling but one that can easily be reached by a player with his length, build, smarts and skillset. The rec specs are a nice touch.
If drafted by Charlotte, Crawford would essentially become Cody Martin’s understudy but taller, longer, stronger and with an immediate translation as a floor-spacer–something Martin still lacks. Strong-bodied, 6-foot-6 wings that can fill a 3&D role with ancillary skills as a shot creator and advantageous playmaker attacking a scrambled defense fit well on any roster in the NBA. Arguably the most underrated player in the class–a victim of playing at a small school and not being highly-ranked by ESPN. If he’s available at 42 the league has made a mistake and the Hornets should have deputy commissioner Mark Tatum sprint to the podium.
