Jamal Crawford is an All-Star talent. His mix of size, skill and scoring ability make him one of the league’s toughest covers. This season, the 30-year-old guard is showing another side of his game that has been overlooked for many years -- a team-first attitude.

His unselfish approach extends beyond his on-court performance.

Crawford is in a contract year. Not just any contract year, but a contract year heading into a summer with a possible lockout and major changes to the NBA’s pay structure. Most of the time these circumstances have led to players doing everything they can to showcase their individual talent and secure big money, many times at the expense of their teammates.

Crawford, however, isn’t planning on using that strategy.

He understands that an unselfish, team-first attitude gives him the best chance to compete for a championship and get paid without being viewed as just another guy that only plays hard at contract time.

“You have to be a good teammate first if you’re playing to win,” Crawford said. “If you’re a good person at heart everything will take care of itself.”

“I’m honestly not playing to score a lot of points. I can go out there and try to score 20 points and can do that on a few different teams. The guys on this team are looking at the bigger picture. We’re all taking a step back in terms of our individual scoring for the benefit of our team.”

The distraction of playing with an uncertain future has been an issue for Crawford. He tries not to let his situation overshadow his obligations to the Hawks, but he can’t seem to get away from the constant questions about his future.

“It’s difficult, honestly,” Crawford said. “I think no matter what you do or say, it’s always in the back of your mind. Not so much on the court, but when you’re done playing people always want to talk about it. It’s always there and you have to do the best you can to weather the storm.”

Perhaps the true difficulty comes from not understanding why a deal hasn’t been reached.

Last season the Hawks enjoyed their most successful season since the 1997-98 campaign. Crawford, the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year, was a major part of the team’s 53 wins. The 10-year veteran averaged 18 points a game, leading the Hawks in scoring 27 times. He gives the Hawks a weapon off the bench that most teams don’t have. Most importantly, he wants to stay in Atlanta.

While teams around the league were doing everything in their power to secure top-tier talent this summer, the Hawks retained Joe Johnson and did nothing else.

Such things worried Crawford with the uncertainty of his future. Understanding the business of basketball, however, has given him the focus needed to play the game, both on the court and at the negotiating table.

“I really didn’t know what was going to happen and I was worried about not getting a deal done this summer,” Crawford said. “Now I’m okay if nothing gets done here. I’ll get a chance to pick where I want to go. I want to stay in Atlanta, but if that doesn’t happen it’s not the end of the world. I’ll have a chance to pick a place I think is best for me.”

Players like Crawford are hard to find.

There have been players with far less talent that refused to accept the role of sixth man. Crawford has embraced the role and used his talents to have a historic season. He posted the most 20-point games for a reserve. He had the highest scoring average for a player off a bench in almost 40 years (without starting a single game). He made the most three-point baskets (163) for a player off the bench in 19 years. He also recorded nine four-point plays and helped the Hawks improve by six games.

The Hawks would be wise to get Crawford’s deal done sooner than later.

He won’t be waiting long for another team to make him an offer.

There are a few different teams that need a go-to guy. There are a few more that are looking for someone of Crawford’s caliber to lead their team. Judging by his numbers as a reserve, he won’t disappoint if given the opportunity to be a team’s premier player.

--Jarrod.Rudolph@RealGM.com