READY AND WILLING: As Jamal Crawford struggled through the painful rehabilitation process after his left anterior cruciate ligament surgery on Aug.7, he found inspiration in the thought of returning with a flourish.

But it hasn't worked out the way Crawford envisioned. In the nine games Crawford has played, he has averaged 16.7 minutes and 5.6 points. He scored eight points in 16 minutes Saturday.

''It's frustrating,'' Crawford said. ''But I feel good, and the knee doesn't bother me at all. I just have to keep on working.''

Coach Bill Cartwright has been impressed with Crawford's work ethic in practices but said Crawford still needs to improve in some areas.

''He's done some nice stuff. Offensively, he's doing a good job pushing the ball, and he is an offensive player right now,'' Cartwright said. ''What we need for him to do is become more of a defensive player, be able to get up and pressure and get through screens.

''But he's coming around. His minutes will go up, and they'll go up according to how he's playing. If he's playing well, he'll stay on.''

The problem is Travis Best has been playing well and has made it tough for Cartwright to take him off the court.