Miami Heat: Is it time to be concerned about Jae Crowder’s recent slump?
Should the Miami Heat be concerned about Jae Crowder’s slump?
Through the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs, Jae Crowder had emerged as an integral part of the Miami Heat‘s success, on both ends of the floor. However, over the last two games against the Boston Celtics, Crowder has begun to show a bit of regression. At what point should the Heat be concerned?
Defensively, Crowder has been somewhat of a savior for the Heat. He was arguably the team’s most important primary defender against Giannis Antetokounmpo in their series against the Milwaukee Bucks and has been another plus-defender that they could throw in the direction of Jayson Tatum against the Celtics.
On offense, he’s arguably been even better. Through the first two rounds in the playoffs, Crowder was averaging 13 points on 42 percent shooting from the field and, most importantly, 40 percent from 3-point range.
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Specifically against the Bucks, Crowder shot 43 percent from deep. With Milwaukee limiting Duncan Robinson’s role offensive, you could make the argument that Crowder quickly became Miami’s most important 3-point shooter in the series. In the last two games, that has changed drastically.
Jae Crowder’s regression
After turning in a great Game 1 performance in which he scored 22 points on 7-11 shooting from the field and 5-9 from 3-point range, Crowder has proven to be ineffective (for the most part) on the offensive end over the last two games against Boston.
In Games 2 and 3 combined, Crowder is averaging 11 points on 27 percent shooting from the field and 25 percent shooting from 3-point range (20 attempts). Even though he’s still been good on the defensive side of the ball, he’s been subpar from 3 and not much of a factor anywhere else offensively.
Crowder’s regression, specifically from 3, has allowed Boston to focus on other areas defensively. Without the threat of Crowder from deep, the Celtics are able to lag off him with its help defense in an attempt to keep the likes of Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo in the paint.
During the first two series, defenses couldn’t do that. If they did, Crowder was there, more often than not, to make them pay with a 3. That has changed over the last two games.
The big question – and concern – is whether this is just a shooting slump or if this is Jae Crowder regression back into the player that he’s been for the majority of his career?
Over the course of his eight seasons in the NBA, Crowder has shot the 3-point shot at a 34 percent clip. In fact, since his fourth season in the league (during the first three seasons, he didn’t attempt more than three per game), Crowder has only shot above 34 percent from deep once.
In the 45 games that he played with Memphis, he shot 29 percent from deep. Even though he’s shot much-better in the 32 games he’s played with the Heat, you can’t help but question the concern.
Next. Miami Heat: 3 concerns Erik Spoelstra must address heading into Game 4. dark
Heading into a pivotal Game 4 against the Celtics, the Heat might need Jae Crowder to bounce back in a big way for them to find success again. Either way, we’re going to find out a lot more about this mini-slump from Crowder, no matter who wins Game 4.