Jamal Crawford’s passing game has its points too

It’s often easy to forget that Jamal Crawford was a point guard coming into the NBA.

He’s become such a prolific scorer that his passing skills are usually overlooked, especially late in games when points are needed and shots are so tempting for a veteran shooting guard who is one of the top 100 scorers in league history.

Then there are nights like Monday, when Crawford’s passes make the difference. He threw a lob to DeAndre Jordan for a dunk and found Blake Griffin for the layup that put the Clippers ahead to stay during a 110-106 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“I have that, I guess, asset just tucked away,” said Crawford, who finished the game with seven assists to go with his 18 points. “There’s times when it comes out. It’s better for us for sure because every time if they think I’m going to shoot every single time, it opens up stuff.”

Crawford said he wants to do whatever it takes to help the Clippers win, something they’ve done with more regularity recently while prevailing in five of their last six games.

“I just try to read the game,” Crawford said. “I think if I predetermine if I’m going to shoot or pass, I get myself in trouble. If I read the game and just take what’s there, I feel like I could be a really good playmaker as well.”

Trade chatter

An NBA executive with knowledge of the Clippers’ thinking confirmed a Yahoo Sports report that the team had recently engaged in exploratory conversations to determine trade interest in Lance Stephenson and Josh Smith.

The executive spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss potential moves. The executive described the conversations as routine for this time of the season involving players on underperforming teams.

The Clippers (12-9) started the season 7-8 before their recent surge, but Stephenson and Smith have both largely been disappointments.

Stephenson, 25, is averaging 5.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists in a role that has wildly vacillated from starting to being a healthy scratch in one game. Smith, 30, is averaging career lows in points (5.5), rebounds (4.2), assists (1.6) and minutes (15.3).

The Clippers cannot trade Smith until Dec. 15 after signing him to a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract over the summer. Stephenson, who is making $9 million this season and has a team option for $9.4 million for the 2016-17 season, can be traded at any time.

Time differential

Coach Doc Rivers has opted to hold his pregame shoot-arounds the evening before games on this trip instead of the customary morning of games because of the time difference between the Central and Pacific time zones. “It’s 8 o’clock in the morning our time if you do it at 10 o’clock,” Rivers said.

Up next

CLIPPERS AT MILWAUKEE BUCKS

When: 5 p.m. PST.

Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center.

On the air: TV: Prime; Radio: 980, 1330.

Records: Clippers 12-9, Bucks 9-13.

Record vs. Bucks (2014-15): 1-1.

Update: Milwaukee has been one of the bigger disappointments in a resurgent Eastern Conference but has won five of its last six home games, including a come-from-behind 90-88 victory over Portland on Monday in which the Bucks wiped out a four-point deficit in the final 17 seconds. The Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo has flourished as a full-time starter, averaging a career-high 16.0 points per game on 50.4% shooting, and newcomer Greg Monroe has been a solid addition with averages of 15.8 points and 9.9 rebounds.

Follow Ben Bolch on Twitter @latbbolch