Sometimes a minor move can completely change the landscape of the NBA. Tyson Chandler was very nearly dealt to the Raptors last summer, but instead ended up with the Mavericks and it is nearly certain they wouldn’t have won the 2011 Finals without him.

The 2009 Playoffs saw Trevor Ariza play a critical role that wasn’t anticipated when the Lakers acquired him for Brian Cook and Mo Evans in November of 2007 when Kobe Bryant was still trying to get himself to the Bulls.

James Posey played just one season with the Celtics, but the complexion of that 2008 series is completely different if they don’t get him that offseason on a one-year deal a few weeks after acquiring Kevin Garnett.

Despite the medical retirement of Brandon Roy and distinct possibility we won’t see Greg Oden this season, the Blazers remain on the periphery of contention in the Western Conference as one of its most intriguing darkhorses. Their frontcourt of LaMarcus Aldridge, Marcus Camby, Gerald Wallace, Kurt Thomas and one more low-cost veteran big to be named later will continue to allow the Blazers to win 55-60 percent of their games. Nate McMillan has his team play slow tempo basketball where they will grind out wins by valuing each possession more than their opponent.

The Blazers did need to replace Roy’s shot creation off the dribble in the halfcourt. Both Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews are underrated young wings with a lot of latent potential since they have only five seasons between them, but the addition of Jamal Crawford on a two-year, $10 million contract will allow them to stay their lane.

Longshots are longshots for a reason, but the Crawford signing does have the look and feel of something that will seem much more important in hindsight like Chandler, Ariza and Posey.

Crawford is as proven as it gets in terms of being a scorer off the bench, and the Blazers will be able to use him at both guard positions. He will give Matthews and Felton a spell while also being able to coexist with both in the backcourt.

Crawford regressed to the mean in 10-11 after his outstanding 09-10 when he had a TS% of 57.3%. Crawford has always been a scorer capable of going for 50, but was very inefficient when examining his entire sample size until these past two seasons with the Hawks. But some of that was his complete freedom of shot selection from being on bad Chicago teams before enduring the Knicks for four seasons. Crawford didn’t appear in a playoff game until 09-10 and some of that is reflected in the disconnect between his actual abilities and career numbers.

Crawford grew up in Seattle a few years older than Roy and there is a little bit of poetry in the former replacing the latter on the floor and with his roster slot.

It is also amazing how competitive the Blazers remain despite losing the two players who were earmarked by the entire basketball world as their superstars in the summer of 2007.

Crawford has never been as good as Roy, but they are similar players in their versatility and shot creation. By signing Crawford to a low-risk deal, they are certain to get a strong return on their investment and his presence in the lineup virtually guarantees a return to the playoffs for me.

If for some reason the Blazers never get going this season and are out of the playoff picture by the second week of March, his contract is extremely tradable.

Grade for Blazers: A

Crawford seemed genuinely torn on where to sign after coming off his seven-year contract. For a few days it seemed like he was prepared to sign a ‘Knicks take care of their retired players’ type of contract with the Knicks for $5 million over two seasons. He may or may not have had a chance to become a high-minute player for a team with title aspirations in a city he loves, but taking 50% less is significant for an over 30 guard on his final opportunity for a multi-year deal.

Crawford gets to come back to the Pacific Northwest and assume a lesser role in terms of minutes, but higher on shot opportunities (at least per trip down the floor).

Additionally, the Western Conference is far more wide open than in the East where a rematch of the Heat and Bulls in the ECF feels inevitable. The 1999 Knicks reached the Finals of a lockout-shortened season as the No. 8 seed with a young Marcus Camby and the Blazers are more than capable of repeating that script.

Crawford did enter the offseason with a more ambitious contract amount and length in mind, but that market never materialized at all. His deal here with the Blazers is value appropriate and a good fit for him.

Grade for Crawford: A-