Watch the video above carefully. The first thing you should notice is the Wizards' Jan Vesely battling for post position with the Bobcats' Tyrus Thomas. In the midst of the jostling, the referee calls a foul on Thomas, sending Vesely to the line. Or rather, toward the line. Now look for Jordan Crawford. He's the guy in the Wizards uniform who is standing way out beyond the three-point line, a good 10 feet away from any Bobcats defender.
It's after the whistle that Crawford gets into the play. As Vesely trudges from the right elbow into the free-throw circle, Crawford makes a brisk cut from the three-point circle to the foul line, stepping in front of Vesely, forcing the would-be shooter out and away. Quickly yet inconspicuously, Crawford plants himself in the referee's passing lane. An 80 percent career free-throw shooter, he has claimed his sweet spot on the floor.
And look at his face after he sinks the first free throw! That is the face of a man who has his hand placed squarely in the cookie jar, can't quite believe he's getting away with it, and is incredibly pleased with himself about that fact. It's hard to blame him; counting the free throws Vesely bricked after the scorer's table caught on to Crawford's trick, Vesely is 1-9 from the line this season.