Jae Crowder continues to impress as a newly-made starter for the Miami Heat.
Fans didn’t know what to think when coach Spoelstra opened up the season’s restart with a brand new starting lineup that featured Crowder and not Leonard. But three games in, it’s hard to say whether they’d have it any other way. He’s been an enforcer on both ends of the ball.
That goes for Thursday’s game against the Bucks as well, where Crowder finished with 15 points, four rebounds, and an assists and steal apiece in 25 minutes on the floor for the Heat. His emergence as a knockdown shooter from deep has been monumental for Miami.
With the Memphis Grizzlies this year, Crowder was hitting just 29 percent of his three-point shots, his lowest percentage from deep since the 2014-2015 season. But in just 17 games with the Heat, he’s hit on 48-of-113 attempts, averaging out for a 42 percent average.
Crowder’s ability to hit the three-ball kept Miami in the running with Milwaukee on Thursday, as well as his defensive efforts on Antetokounmpo in the first half. Having someone that can guard the opponent’s best player and knock down his threes will only make this team more dangerous.