Bryant Believes Jamal Crawford Should Win Sixth Man of the Year

The Los Angeles Lakers will face a tough opponent Friday night in the Los Angeles Clippers, in one of the most anticipated battles of Los Angeles yet. The Clippers will enter the game as one of the best teams in the Western Conference, while the Lakers will have a chance to measure up to their long-time “little brothers.”

For the first time in a while, the Clippers are far better than the Lakers, and the men in purple-and-gold look are very far from championship form. The Clippers on the other hand, are playing great basketball and they finished the month of December with an astonishing zero losses.

One of the main contributors for this Clippers team is the explosive guard off the bench, Jamal Crawford. Crawford gives the Clippers instant offense and Kobe Bryant recognizes the value he has for his team. Bryant spoke to the Los Angeles Times on Thursday, and said he believes that Crawford deserves to win the 2012-13 Sixth Man of the Year award.

“He gets my nomination for sixth man of the year,” Bryant said of Crawford after Thursday’s Lakers practice.

Crawford is the Clippers’ second leading scorer behind Blake Griffin and ahead of Chris Paul with 16.5 points per game. Crawford played a big role in the Clippers’ 17-game winning streak and he has been the perfect fit for this team. The Lakers will have a lot to handle on Friday night and Crawford will be just one of the players that needs to be contained.