Miami Heat: 3 Reasons Re-Signing Jae Crowder Is a Priority
Jae Crowder is a valuable defensive asset when against the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, or any premiere wing in the league for that matter.
We’ve established that the plan is to preserve next year’s cap while giving this year’s group the best chance possible to compete. In order to compete, the Heat will once again need to have a plethora of good defenders to throw at opponents.
Their path to success will run through a long list of very good to elite wings and Miami needs to once again be prepared to slow those players down. Jimmy Butler is obviously a defensive game-changer, as is Bam Adebayo.
Much like Iggy, Crowder is crucial to helping both of the stars against scoring wings. Not only do they give them breaks from the toughest assignments, but they offer different defensive skill sets that help prevent the offensive player from finding an easy rhythm over the course of a game.
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According to NBA.com, Crowder held the following players to these numbers when matched up with them during last years playoffs:
Giannis – 9-22 (40.9%) shooting
Tatum – 10-29 (34.5%) shooting
Middleton – 15-38 (39.5%) shooting
If that doesn’t demonstrate why he’s a priority this off-season, I’m not sure anything will. These are the reasons why the Miami Heat have to keep him in the fold.