Ranking The NBA’s Top Glue Guys
By Jon Shames
3.) Jae Crowder
Jae Crowder, once an afterthought in the Rajon Rondo trade, has become the small forward of the future for the Boston Celtics.
Crowder was re-signed for five years and $35 million last summer, and thus far, the investment looks like a complete steal for general manager Danny Ainge and Co. No. 99 is averaging 14.4 points to go along with 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, all career-highs.
He is just 25 years old, and is only playing in his fourth season, meaning he’s only going to improve from this point forward.
Standing at a solid 6-foot-6, Crowder, who weighs in at 235 pounds of muscle, has the perfect body for a small forward. Considering his burly stature, it’s surprising that Crowder moves as quickly as he can. He’s a player that always seems to be moving at 2x speed, a testament to his activity on the court.
Offensively, Crowder isn’t exceptional in any one single area. He is an opportunistic scorer who lacks creativity, but possesses excellent body control and concentration, both of which contribute to his value as a slasher in half court sets.
When Crowder gets the ball on the perimeter, he usually decides whether or not to attack in less than a second, and his first step is one of the best in the league.
He is also progressing as an outside shooter, and has increased his deep-ball conversion rate each season thus far, to the point where he’s now knocking down over 35 percent of his treys — a respectable number.
Perhaps the best part of Crowder’s offense, though, is the fact that he never overshoots. Very rarely will he force up a bad attempt, and when the opportunity to score isn’t there, Crowder will look for open teammates. He isn’t a stellar passer by any means, but he is certainly a creator, and is becoming quite capable as the ball-handler in pick-and-roll sets.
Defensively, there’s nothing to complain about. Crowder is remarkably light on his feet, and is strong and fast enough to stop players at both forward spots. His help defense picture-perfect as well. Though not really a gambler (since he’s so good at recovering), Crowder loves to stick a hand in the passing lane or swipe the rock from an unsuspecting post player.
That kind of behavior explains his average of 1.8 steals per game.
Crowder’s ceiling is unknown, but he is already a major factor in the success of the Boston Celtics, a young team that is poised for a very bright future. Stay tuned.
Next: No. 2: Andre Iguodala