The 2020 and 2021 NBA Finals have one thing in common:
Jae Crowder.
Member of the Miami Heat last season, who lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, Jae Crowder finds himself in the same position this season, only this time a member of the Phoenix Suns.
The former Celtic signed a 3-year, $29M deal with the Suns last offseason after departing Miami.
Jay King of The Athletic recently wrote about Crowder and how the Celtics could sure use a player like him on their roster. As King referenced, Crowders father Corey recently joined “The Rematch” podcast with Etan Thomas and had some things to say about Crowder’s departure from Boston.
“I’m not saying Boston don’t have toughness,” Crowder’s father said, “but they could have used a Jae Crowder. Miami got to the Finals last year. Jae Crowder’s gone, now where they at? So I’m not hopping on him, but there is a position for the type of way that he plays. There is a position on every team for that guy.”
In no way is Crowder’s father saying that his son is the sole reason for his back-to-back Finals appearance with two different teams but Jae has certainly proven to have a positive impact on these teams.
Crowder’s presence as a strong, tough 3-and-D wing was vastly missed by the Celtics, specifically this season. The Marquette product brings an unconscious level of toughness that rubs off on his teammates. The amount of belief and energy that Crowder plays with is infectious on both ends of the floor.
Though Marcus Smart is cut from that same cloth, the Celtics lacked that tough, veteran presence from their bigger wings this season which the likes of Crowder and former Celtic Marcus Morris were able to provide in years past.
You can guarantee that Brad Stevens, and especially Ime Udoka, will want to add a tough, veteran presence that mirrors that of Crowder’s to the Celtics locker room this offseason.
This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
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