When the Boston Celtics traded Rajon Rondo last season they were essentially just trying to part with a player who didn’t fit their philosophy and also a guy who didn’t want to be on a rebuilding team. The best player to move in this trade however actually ended up in Boston, the uninspiring and raw Jae Crowder moved to the Garden as part of the trade and he has blossomed to become Boston’s most important player. In a League now characterised by ‘three and D’ players such as DeMarre Carroll, Danny Green and Wesley Matthews, Crowder has found a spot as a really important contributor for a top tier team in the Boston Celtics.

Crowder’s best attribute is his defence and he, alongside Avery Bradley, have formed the core of Boston’s lockdown defenders. The turnover percentage of the opposition decreases from 17.4% to 16.2% when he is on the bench which suggest that he is good at forcing turnovers and forcing guards to make bad passes by covering cutters well and setting double teams at the right times. Boston play an excellent brand of team defence and you often need a two-tier defender to do this. By ‘Two-tier’, what we mean is a defender who can defend both in the post and on the perimeter. Crowder isn’t big but he makes up for his lack of size with lateral quickness and full on hustle and his hard work appears to be paying off. Right now he is a huge contributor to what Brad Stevens is trying to do on the defensive end of the court.

When Boston underwent their rebuild, they essentially brought in numerous young players with potential and we are now beginning to see the ones who will be part of the future. People like Marcus Smart and Kelly Olynyk are also showing talent but Crowder has without a doubt been their biggest success story alongside former Sacramento Kings guard Isaiah Thomas. These two provide the building blocks for the future. The key with Crowder however is that he is a more important player than Rondo was ever going to be for this team moving forward, unless they trade for two star wings then he will start for this team due to his two way ability and his versatility.

In the above screenshot you will see that Boston only have two lineups with a positive net rating, Crowder is in the second one which also happens to be their best lineup as it plays more minutes than the one above. It is difficult to judge Crowder because he plays more minutes than most on the team and will therefore play in more lineups. The second lineup having a positive rating in a very competitive Eastern Conference is very impressive and it speaks volumes of the ability that Brad Stevens has.in developing average players into good players.

The main way Jae Crowder has improved himself in Boston is via his shooting and notably his jump shot. Crowder’s field goal percentage has gone from .384 – .430 – .420 – .448% and he has now become a reliable perimeter as he is shooting in the mid thirties on the season from downtown. He is only a 35% jump shooter but in a team that moves the ball relatively quickly (third in pace) this is fine as he will often be taking good rather than great shots- the advantage of this is that obviously they will get more possessions. The former Mavericks wing has become a valuable piece for the offence as he doesn’t stop the ball, rarely turns it over and can hit the occasional three pointer.

Trade season is upon us and Boston have been linked with players such as Dwight Howard, Al Horford, DeMarcus Cousins and Greg Monroe. These are all players who could become the star that this team is lacking but they must not give up Jae Crowder in any circumstances. If you were to ask me the untouchable guy on the Celtics roster then I would say Crowder every time. Isaiah Thomas scores a lot of points but he is a poor defender and to an extent he stuffs his stats against poor Eastern Conference bench units. Crowder is there and he often marks the toughest assignment on the other team unless Avery Bradley is preferred for the role. Crowder perhaps symbolises how well run this Celtics franchise has been since Doc Rivers ran away to Los Angeles in 2013.