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Chris Paul doesn’t buy Jamal Crawford doesn’t practice dribbling

Jamal Crawford

At one point in the second quarter of the Clippers win over the Lakers Friday night — on what was supposed to be the Lakers home court — Jamal Crawford crossed over a Lakers defender to get an open look on the left wing, a move so sweet there was an audible gasp from the Lakers crowd when it happened. It was the kind of thing Crawford did the night before to break Rudy Gay’s ankles.

This would be the Jamal Crawford that said he never really worked on his game before this season, that he did it all on natural talent.

After the game, Chris Paul was asked if he buys that.

“Oh, he’s lyin’. He’s lyin’.”

But then Paul went on to say he doesn’t really practice his dribbling anymore.

“But to tell you the truth, I don’t do all the ball handling drills like I used to as a kid...” Paul said about dribbling around cones and around broomsticks. “But when I was a kid, all day every day. All day every day. Now you been dribbling so long, you just sort of improvise and come up with new stuff.”

While Crawford is a name NBA fans know — he won Sixth Man of the Year in Atlanta and his crossover is well known — he is one of those players whose skills are far more impressive in person than on highlights. His ball control and sense of how to create space so he can get off his jumper is eye-popping in person. It’s how he dropped 21 on the Lakers to lead the Clippers in scoring.

Paul, a guy with skills but who plays a game of clever moves and guile, is Crawford’s new biggest fan. He’s the first up off the bench cheering when Crawford just destroys a defender off the dribble.

“I have fun with it, I have fun with it during the game,” CP3 said. “This might be one of the funnest years I’ve had since I’ve been in the league because at the position I play and how I play, I appreciate Jamal Crawford. I love it.

“It’s one thing to go home when he was on another team and see it on the highlights, but I get to see it every night. I’m his biggest fan.”

It’s not only Paul that’s having fun, it’s the Clippers team and their fans are as well. Crawford brings a dimension of shot creation off the bench the Clippers needed to if their plan is to take a step forward this season. He and Paul are a 1-2 punch and a change of style that is hard for opposing teams to match.