An in-depth look at the Society’s Move of the Week
After a short hiatus, Inside the Move is back with a move that can add a bit of flash to your game. This week we look at what we’re calling the Jamal Crawford special which is a move that he has made a lot of defenders look silly with. It’s basically a between the legs, behind-the-back combo into a pro-hop. A quick double move and a quick change of direction that will definitely lead into a bucket. When you’re on a fast break and want to switch up on your defender, instead of giving him the now typical euro-step, you can hit him with the Jamal Crawford special which will have him standing there wondering what just happened. It’s a very difficult move (trust me I’ve tried it) but with a lot of practice, anyone can master it.
Keys to the Move
- Remember one move at a time. When performing a double move, it’s easy for the ball handler to get ahead of himself. You know what move you’re trying to perform and you’re mind is thinking about the second move before you perform the first. When you rush it, you will either not get the move off cleanly or ultimately turn the ball over. So remember, one move at a time and then go up for your shot.
- Two feet on the hop. The rules on the pro-hop are a bit fishy and officials referee it in multiple ways. So to be safe, I like to preach two feet on the pro-hop meaning you want both feet to land simultaneously. Some referees like to call travel when you take a 1-2 landing on a pro-hop. Practice landing both feet at the same time on your pro-hop and you’ll be alright.
- Study & Practice & Repeat. Like I mentioned earlier, this is not an easy move. Watch how Jamal Crawford pulls it off and then go out on the court and practice it yourself. And continuously practice it. Its a very shifty move where if you perfect it, like any other move there are multiple variations to pull off with it. You can do a behind -the-back dribble into the behind-the-back pro-hop or even a cross drop into a pro-hop. The variations are limitless but you first have to master pulling off the basic double move to be able to add from there.
This is really one of the best moves out there and I get excited every time I see Jamal Crawford pull it off. What he’s capable of with the basketball is so fun to watch and he’s so crafty that even 2K has given him his own layup package that includes this move in their games. It’s hard to defend because you have no idea where he’s going. If you want an effective move along with some style points, the Jamal Crawford Special is the right one for you.
Check out these clips of Jamal Crawford making defenders look silly pulling off this move:
