Boston Celtics to Watch: Small Forward Jae Crowder
After a solid 15′-16′ season, Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder is ready to build on his performance.
Seen as nothing more than a throw in to the Rajon Rondo trade by the Dallas Mavericks, Jae Crowder has thrived as a member of the Boston Celtics. Under Brad Stevens’ direction, the 26 year old forward has developed into one of the key pieces to this Celtics squad.
So far in the pre-season, Crowder’s 3 point shot has looked much smoother. He looks as if he’s shooting the ball with confidence again. The one thing I hope to see out of Crowder this year is simply that he’ll attack the paint more. This C’s team isn’t exactly a great shooting squad, so attacking opponents around the rim is a must. Guys like Jae Crowder and Marcus Smart have the physical tools to be able to cause havoc in the paint if they so choose.
His 14 points and five rebounds per game last season served as a big help to the C’s. If he can shoot better than 33% from the 3-point line this year, it just makes this offense more dangerous.
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An ankle sprain kept Crowder from making a real impact in the Celtics first round playoff loss against the Atlanta Hawks. However, make no mistake about it, when he’s healthy he gives other teams real issues.
Even if he’s not performing particularly well on the offensive end, Crowder’s defense never seems to be lacking. Being able to trot out a lineup of Brown, Smart, Crowder, Horford and Bradley is a luxury for Stevens. That unit can limit teams on the offensive end, and also get out and run in transition. His emotional leadership is what helps these Celtics go, even if he’s having an off night.
I see Jae Crowder making a jump this year. It might only be a small jump, but I expect everyone on this team to have made progress on their games over the offseason. Crowder needs to become consistent, which he was more of last season. He’s going to be important if this team is going to really challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers.