Jae Crowder has old-school versatility in his team-friendly game for Suns

In the current era of the NBA, versatility is king. When it comes to strictly the athletic build of a player, if they’re too small or slow to have positional versatility as a defender, they have to be pretty darn good guarding their own position to not be considered limited, or even worse, a liability.

That’s something that can flash here and there in the regular season, but gets flat-out exposed in the playoffs.

On a first look, you might think Jae Crowder is that guy. At a listed 6-foot-6, the Phoenix Suns’ free-agent signing is smaller than nearly all forwards. He’s not incredibly agile, which means his shutdown potential on perimeter options is low.

But Crowder has a lot of things going for him that still make him versatile, to the point where Suns head coach Monty Williams said he’s “as versatile as they come.”

So why is that the case?

Before we get to that, Crowder on Wednesday spoke through the Suns for the first time this season. Williams declined to comment on his status on Monday, which fueled speculation as to what was going on with Crowder and if it could be COVID-19 related.

Crowder said Wednesday was his first full practice with the team and that he was previously attending to a personal problem that is now taken care of. When asked if he had any COVID-19 issues, Crowder said no and thanked the organization for letting him get done what he had to get done.

“Happy to be back working, getting prepared for this season,” he said.

Alright, back to that question of why on Crowder’s versatility.

Crowder, 30, is a bruiser. As I previously covered at the time of the signing, he does not shy away from defending with his chest. He will take bump after bump from guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James with zero hesitation. That goes a long way in on-ball defense.

He’s also a smart team defender that makes the multiple efforts required to be a good one too.

And even better, as Suns fans know from P.J. Tucker, Crowder’s strength allows him to switch onto centers and battle there.

Williams had NBATV on in the background Tuesday and saw Crowder’s then-Utah Jazz playing the Oklahoma City Thunder. And there Crowder was, grinding through a stretch guarding OKC center Steven Adams, one of the most physical players the league has to offer.

Teams aren’t really going “small” with Crowder playing the 4, a credit to him adapting to what a forward is in 2020.

The Suns have been missing that type of wing defender since Tucker left. Through lighter wings like T.J. Warren, Josh Jackson, Mikal Bridges, Kelly Oubre Jr., Cam Johnson and so on, that bulk hasn’t been there. Now, they’ve got it.

Williams spoke further on those points.

“Mikal is a longer, wiry-strong guy,” he said. “Those guys tend to run into problems when they face the LeBrons and the Kawhis — those guys are like 235, 240 (pounds). LeBron is like 265. And so that’s where you feel like Mikal can definitely use his energy and quickness against those guys, but Jae has the ability to play with his chest but he also has a really strong base. And those guys can get in the way of the bigger forwards around the league. And then it helps when you’re in the switching situation and he has to switch onto a 5.”

Williams said that versatility from Crowder helps for rebounding, along with physicality for an overall team, citing Crowder has the body and experience to bring those positives.

It’s a very team-friendly role Crowder plays, one that will surely rub off on the younger Bridges and Johnson.

“He’ll be able to show them how to do it,” general manager James Jones said Nov. 30. “You learn from experience, and a lot of times, you learn from observation. And Jae is a guy who has been on some really good teams: Boston, Dallas, Memphis, Miami most recently — he’s proven over his career that he contributes to winning and that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win.

“If that’s playing 38 minutes and attempting two shots — he’s a winner. He has that amount of grit that he’s developed from just nine years of real, good, real high-level basketball. So I’m hoping those guys will get a chance to see his intensity.

“I’m hoping that he just brings who he’s been which is a guy that doesn’t quit plays all-out all game.”

Sounds like a guy you want on your team, huh? The league agreed, as Crowder said Wednesday he had 14 total teams reach out in free agency.

Crowder’s offensive role is simple and easy. He’s a catch-and-shoot guy who impacts the game in other places enough to make his presence constantly felt.

Despite Crowder not being much of a ball-handler, he does what the Suns want.

“If somebody’s open, he moves the ball,” Williams said. “He makes the right plays. And that was really intriguing to James and myself, because in our offense, it’s a we score mentality. We want to move the ball and we really don’t care who scores, so you have to have willing passers to play that way.”

As a three-point shooter, Crowder saw his percentages transform mid-season when he was acquired by the Miami Heat. He shot 44.5% from deep on over six attempts a game after being at a career 34.0% mark.

When asked if he attributed anything to that, Crowder credited the culture in Miami.

“Once my coaching staff gave me the confidence to — whatever shot I felt like, is a good shot,” he said. “They trusted me and believed that I can take that shot, and not every situation I’ve been in that’s been that way.”

The biggest challenge for Crowder in the offseason was mentally getting back in the swing of things after just coming up short in the NBA Finals less than two months ago.

As you might expect with a guy possessing Crowder’s edge, he figured it out and said he’s locked in.

“That motivated me,” he said. “That’s continuing to drive me during my offseason workouts. Obviously, I wanted a little bit more of a break, but that’s the time we’re living in right now and I’m having to adjust and I will adjust.”

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