DALLAS -- Jae Crowder carved out a niche as a versatile defensive stopper during his first couple of seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.

Crowder wants to be much more.

Jae Crowder focused on his offensive game during the offseason. Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports

Crowder is well aware that he’ll never be a go-to guy for the Mavs. But he firmly believes he can be much more effective as a scorer and playmaker than he has been in his first two seasons, when Crowder averaged 4.8 points and 1.0 assist in 16.7 minutes per game, shooting 40.9 percent from the floor and 32.9 percent from 3-point range.

“I’m trying to make plays on the other end, not just be one-dimensional,” Crowder said. “I’m a much better player than just a defensive player, but I do bring a lot of defense to my team and that is what has gotten me on the court in my two years in the league. I’m just trying to grow my game and expand my game as much as possible.”

Crowder proved he can be that kind of playmaker, at least at a lower level, by posting triple-doubles in his only two D-League appearances last season. But the Dallas decision-makers don’t envision Crowder developing into an offensive focal point for the Mavs.

Owner Mark Cuban mentions gritty stoppers such as Memphis’ Tony Allen or former San Antonio Spurs pest Bruce Bowen when discussing Crowder’s potential. By the numbers, Crowder was Dallas’ best defensive player last season, when his defensive rating of 99.0 points per 100 possessions was by far the lowest on the roster. (Crowder’s net rating of plus-12.1 was also the Mavs’ best.)

Crowder understands his primary use to the Mavs is his ability to defend everyone from point guards to power forwards, much like Shawn Marion used to do. However, much of Crowder’s offseason work focused on his offensive game.

Crowder, who played at 240 pounds as a rookie and in the mid-230s last season, has slimmed down to 228 pounds. He feels faster and more explosive and is confident that fatigue won’t be a factor this season, as he admits it was around the 50-game mark last season.

"I’m flying around like I have before back in my college days," Crowder said. "I’m excited about that."

The improved conditioning, Crowder hopes, will help him boost his shooting percentages. He’s worked hard on the kind of shots that come his way in the Mavs’ system -- the wing and corner 3s and the one- or two-dribble pull-ups he can get when defenders close out on him.

The Mavs’ rotation is crowded on the wings with the additions of Chandler Parsons, Richard Jefferson and Al-Farouq Aminu, but Crowder’s ability to guard gives him good odds to get consistent playing time.

“He’s a young player that’s just gotten better in steady increments each year,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “His versatility as a defender is extremely important. He’s almost always in there late game in must-stop situations because of his ability to switch onto bigger and smaller players. We just want to keep bringing him along, keep working on the shooting, the range, different types of shots that happen in our offense.

“He’s a terrific kid and a terrific worker. He’s what we’re trying to be about here.”