Fratello Fundamentals

When you miss a shot, don’t waste your time trying to bring a missed foul call to the referee’s attention. Hustle down the court and get set on defense immediately, or you could wind up giving away an uncontested basket to your opponent.

Jordan Crawford’s freshman season is drawing to a close as the Wizards will sit out the playoffs for the third year in a row. But since his arrival in D.C. at the end of February, Crawford has already gained valuable experience and made significant contributions while filling in at the two spot for Nick Young, who’s been sidelined with a knee injury for the past five games. Crawford has averaged 16.3 ppg during March, scoring an NBA career-high 27 points in Washington’s recent loss to Chicago.

Though his pro career is off to an impressive start, Crawford did make a rookie mistake in the Wiz’s 98-92 W over the Nets last week. After Crawford shot and missed a jumper against the Nets in the second quarter, he proceeded to explain to the official that he’d been fouled. Meanwhile, Humphries grabbed the rebound; the Nets pushed the ball down the floor; and Vujacic sank a deuce. You don’t have time to have a discussion with the ref after a missed shot. Your opponents are not going to wait for you. You have to sprint back to the other end and get set on defense right away.