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The NBA Mailbag is open with NBA legend and NBC analyst Jamal Crawford ready to answer your questions before Sunday Night Basketball matchups on NBC\/Peacock. This week, the Sixers travel to Boston to face the Celtics in a key Eastern Conference clash (8 ET, NBC\/Peacock<\/a>). <\/p>\n Have a question for Jamal? Submit it here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Will the Celtics be the favorites to win the East if Jayson Tatum comes back? \u2013 from Sean in Boston, MA<\/p>\n What\u2019s up, Sean? I think the Celtics, the way they\u2019re playing, may be the favorites to win the East, whether he does or does not come back. I don\u2019t think anybody predicted they would be number two in the East with Tatum sidelined. Jaylen Brown is a true MVP candidate, Coach Mazzulla deserves Coach of the Year consideration, and how hard they play defense will always give them a chance, no matter who they play.<\/p>\n Did you expect Tyrese Maxey to develop like he has (currently 5th in scoring)? What can he do to take his game even higher? \u2013 from Marcel in Pittsburgh, PA<\/p>\n I did not see him developing into a top\u20115 scorer this soon. But I saw the talent, I saw the work ethic, and everybody said he was a great teammate who always works on his game. The next step for him, like all the greats, is to win. Once you win, people notice on a higher level, and that brings more awareness to your game.<\/p>\n What\u2019s been most impressive about Jaylen Brown\u2019s season? \u2013 from Mike in Milford, MA<\/p>\n His leadership. We always knew he could score and that he was a leader, but now you\u2019re seeing those leadership qualities on the court, too. He\u2019s setting guys up, telling them where to go (things he won\u2019t get credit for) and helping the team succeed. Especially with no Tatum, the trades they made, and a different roster from their NBA Finals run, he\u2019s taken a big leadership step.<\/p>\n Who do you think will have the East\u2019s best record during the home stretch? \u2013 from Corbin in Mentor, OH<\/p>\n I think Detroit will keep leading the way. They\u2019ve figured out how to win, been number one almost the whole year, and I think they\u2019ll keep rolling. Cade Cunningham is bringing a certain pace that always allows him to be special because nobody can speed him up. He usually makes the right decision for whatever the moment calls for.<\/p>\n Hey Jamal! As a former Wolves player, how far do you think Ant Man and Minnesota go this year? \u2013 from Julian in Minneapolis, MN<\/p>\n That\u2019s a great question. The West is loaded with Denver, OKC, Houston, and the Spurs. I could see the Wolves making a run to maybe the West semifinals. But it won\u2019t just be on Ant. As Jaden McDaniels continues to evolve his scoring, that\u2019ll be a huge punch for them in the playoffs.<\/p>\n Cleveland is coming out hot right after the major trade with LA. What do you think about the instant chemistry the team has with Harden, and what is the ceiling for this team? \u2013 from Faidzul in Malaysia<\/p>\n When Harden goes to teams, historically, they get a jolt of energy right away. So this is kind of par for the course for how that goes. They\u2019re definitely playing with great chemistry faster than expected. But I\u2019m not sure how far they\u2019ll go. I think they\u2019ll be really good in the regular season, but as things tighten up in the playoffs, that\u2019s where I get a little concerned.<\/p>\n Are the Pistons this year\u2019s Thunder team? Do you see them making a run to the NBA Finals? \u2013 from Deven in New York, NY<\/p>\n They can absolutely make a run to the Finals. They\u2019ve been consistent all year, even when people have been out. Someone always steps up, and Cade anchors the middle of everything. But if we\u2019re talking this year\u2019s Thunder, I think that belongs to the Spurs.<\/p>\n Who had the deepest bag for a big man you have ever defended against? \u2013 from Logan in Stuart, FL<\/p>\n I\u2019ll go with three guys I had to defend on switches at different times: Chris Webber, Kevin Garnett, and Rasheed Wallace.<\/p>\n Rasheed was one of the first bigs to shoot deep threes consistently. Garnett had incredible footwork that he learned from Kevin McHale. And Chris Webber could go slow to quick really, really fast. He would go slow, do a quick spin, and then reverse dunk.<\/p>\n All three were special in different ways.<\/p>\n Of the younger players in the league, under five years of experience, who are your favorite ball handlers? \u2013 from Michael in Madison, WI<\/p>\n I\u2019ll go with Rob Dillingham and Dylan Harper.<\/p>\n Who has the best hesi in the league? Current player and a player you played with\/against. \u2013 from Jay in Dallas, TX<\/p>\n Same person: Kevin Durant. His hesitation jumper, hesitation blow\u2011by, and hesitation crossover all look identical. So you don\u2019t know which one he\u2019s going to use. He\u2019s just reading you. Whatever decision you make is the wrong one.<\/p>\n Since Chris Paul just retired, do you have any special memories of playing against him and with him? \u2013 from Nate\u2019le\u2019ge in Chicago, IL<\/p>\n Chris was always the heart and soul of our team. Very few people I\u2019ve ever met in life love basketball as much as he does. Always improving, always driven. Our friendship was deeply connected through basketball, if that makes sense. You would think, \u201cOh, you guys played together, of course.\u201d But both of our loves for the game gave us a real connection that very few people could truly understand unless you love the game like that. He\u2019s one of the best ever, and it was an honor to play with him.<\/p>\n What\u2019s it like being part of the NBA on NBC and Peacock crew? More importantly, what\u2019s it like working with legends like Carmelo and Vince? \u2013 from Marvin on Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n Working with Carmelo and Vince and T-Mac and Reggie and all these great people is so cool because I\u2019m a fan of all of them, watched them, played against them. So the conversations off-camera are the best ones. We talk about all types of stuff. We have a group chat called \u201cHoops Savants\u201d with all these basketball minds in it, and we debate everything from a very deep-rooted, highest-level of basketball type of place. So it\u2019s really cool. And it could be about anything basketball.<\/p>\n Being on NBA on NBC is surreal. I never thought I\u2019d be working here. That was the soundtrack of our childhood with Bob Costas, Marv Albert, Michael Jordan, and slow-mo promos. It shaped our basketball dreams.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n How is it possible that you were never voted to an All-Star team? Did you ever use that as motivation the following season? \u2013 from Matt on X<\/a><\/p>\n I don\u2019t know how. I thought I\u2019d make 2 or 3. I sacrificed by coming off the bench, and they asked you to sacrifice, but don\u2019t reward you for it. If I had put up the same numbers as a starter, then I would have made it. But I had my peers\u2019 respect and that was more important. I thought it was really cool when guys like Barkley or Kobe would say I should be an All-Star.<\/p>\n As the master of the 4-point play, what is your secret to staying balanced and focused when initiating contact on those jump shots? \u2013 from Kaydin in Australia\u00a0<\/p>\n I always focused on getting the shot off. I could feel when contact was coming and shoot through it. Once the ball was gone, they couldn\u2019t block it. The hardest part was actually the free throw after because you already made the hard shot, now you better make the easy one.<\/p>\n If you could play for any team right now, who would it be? \u2013 from Carolyn in Jamaica, NY<\/p>\n The Spurs. The culture is great, tons of playmakers and defenders, and then you have that alien back there who changes everything.<\/p>\n Your game always felt like storytelling, setups, misdirection, and plot twists. When you were cooking someone, did it feel like art to you? \u2013 from Stacey in Atlanta, GA<\/p>\n Absolutely. I\u2019ve always viewed myself as an artist with a blank canvas. Everything was about collecting data. If a move didn\u2019t work, I\u2019d set it up differently next time. I wanted it to feel different than just watching a basketball player. Kyrie has that same kind of thing, where it feels like it\u2019s a little bit different than just basketball. That\u2019s what made the game unique when I was growing up watching my favorites. My inspirations, like Magic or Jordan or Isiah Thomas or Allen Iverson, all brought something artistic to the game.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more fun \u2026 being a player or an analyst? \u2013 from Peter in Illinois<\/p>\n Coaching. I love analyzing the game and breaking it down. As a player, there\u2019s no joy like it. I\u2019ve done that my whole life \u2026 I\u2019m actually about to go play after this. So I\u2019m still connected. But coaching challenges your mind in real time. You have to adjust. And I get to coach my son. That\u2019s the best part.<\/p>\n Have you ever been in a commercial? \u2013 from James in Duluth, GA<\/p>\n