Is Jae Crowder close to becoming the next DeMare Carroll?

[chambers]

Ok so they have similar haircuts, they are both defensive beasts and play hard on both ends.
In all seriousness, I think Danny hit the big time by signing this guy to a
$7 million x 5 year deal. I mean the upside this guy has shown is pretty phenomenal, and when that cap explodes to 110 million, this guys $7 million could look like one of the best deals in the NBA.
It hasn't really been talked about but this was simply brilliant by Ainge and Stevens to get this guy at 24 years old (just turned 25) as a throw in for the Rondo trade.

Danny Ainge's job is to find guys and grab them before they peak- and he may have just done that with Jae Crowder.

Let's compare his 2014 stats to DeMare Carroll, who just signed a 4 year x $15 million deal with the Raptors...The obvious area of improvement for Jae to work on is his three point shooting. Carroll is light years ahead of him as a three point shooter, shooting 39% in 2014-15. But Crowder shot 34% in 2013-14 so there is hope there, considering his form is nice and his mechanics don't need too much work.

I'll compare per 36 minute numbers from last season 2014-15...

Jae Crowder per 36 minutes


6'7", 240LB, small forward. Age 24 during season, just turned 25.
-14 points per game
-49.5% 2 point FG%
28% 3 point FG%
-6.9 rebounds per game
-2.1 assists
-1 steal
-1 turnover per game

DeMare Carroll per 36 minutes

6'8" 212 LBS Age 28 during season, just turned 29.
-14.5 points per game
-56.7% 2 point FG%
-39.5% 3 point FG%
-6.1 rebounds
-1.9 assists
-1.5 steals
1.2 turnovers per game

Like Carroll, Crowdah's biggest strength is his defensive versatility. He can switch with pretty much any player on the pick and roll and hold his own. Carroll has slowly become an elite 3 point shooter with hard work. The hope for us now is that Jae's hard work pays off, because you know he'll be working his ass off to improve that 3 point shot.

Anyone else think this is an under the radar signing and great value for cap room? At this stage, Carroll is obviously the superior player, but I think this was a brilliant signing for the future of our team with serious upside potential.

[saltlover]

He's very good value.  He's appropriately compensated if doesn't improve.  At 25, he isn't likely to regress at all during the deal.  And if he improves that shooting a little, he's an absolute steal.  Locking him up for 5 years was a great decision.

[The One]

I love Crowder...but I don't think he hits the DeMare level.  Maybe 1.5 clicks below that...still a nice player.

It's a very good signing though, just not brilliant.

Can't wait to see him for a whole season in this system.

[Jvalin]

Entirely agree with the OP. I think resigning Crowder and drafting RJ Hunter and Mickey were the best moves we made during the off season.

By the way, offering 14.5 million a year for Carroll is a complete joke.  I mean, it’s not like the Raps were a piece away from contending…

[tarheelsxxiii]

Entirely agree with the OP. I think resigning Crowder and drafting RJ Hunter and Mickey were the best moves we made during the off season.

By the way, offering 15 million a year for Carroll is a complete joke.  I mean, it’s not like the Raps were a piece away from contending…

Agree, although biased as a Beast fan since Marquette. The difference is literally in 3 point shooting. Admit he had a string of solid playoff games, but he was also on a team of glorified scrubs. Don't know on what planet he has more than twice the value of Crowder, though. TPs all around.

[Celtics4ever]

Carroll is better offensively, the higher shooter percentages alone make him much more efficient.

[D.o.s.]

Assuming Crowder can bump his long range shooting up to where it was before he was traded from Dallas (he was averaging 34% from deep for them last year) then yes, it's entirely possible.

[krumeto]

DaMare was the definition of 15th man on the roster until his last Utah season when he was 26. JC is still 25.

The only big difference in my opinion is the 3P%. If Crowder manages to upgrade his shooting, we will be having a very similar player.

I spent some time last Sunday watching some of his 3P attempts last year. IMO, it is a footwork problem. He is often flat-footed and has poor lift. It looks fixable to me.

[PhoSita]

Assuming Crowder can bump his long range shooting up to where it was before he was traded from Dallas (he was averaging 34% from deep for them last year) then yes, it's entirely possible.

Agreed, with the caveat that Carroll's size will always be a significant advantage over Crowder, especially playing at the 4.

[saltlover]

Carroll is better offensively, the higher shooter percentages alone make him much more efficient.

Yes, but the whole point is if Crowder can improve his 3-point shooting.  Carroll was a career 28% 3-point shooter before joining the Hawks two years ago when he was 27.  Crowder is still a couple years younger, and shot closer to 33% during his 2.5 years with the Mavs, as opposed to the 28% he gave us.  Some of that is certainly usage -- his role greatly increased when he got here, which led to some worse shots.  But his usage rate in Dallas was much closer to Crowder's in Atlanta, so if he went back down to that amount of shots, you might see an uptick in shooting for that reason alone.

The point is that Demarre Carrol two years ago was probably a less valuable player than Jae Crowder is now, and Crowder is just turning 25, whereas Carroll made his jump at age 27.  So yes, Crowder can make that leap.  Will he?  Only time will tell.

[SHAQATTACK]

I believe he could get there , he has the correct work ethic and team to develop with

[Evantime34]

I think he could eventually make a Jimmy Butler type jump.

Their third year per 36 numbers are pretty similar. Played with each other in college, have worked out together in the off season in the past.

[kheldar52077]

Anything's possible from Carroll to Butler or just plain Jae Chowder. 

[PhoSita]

I think he could eventually make a Jimmy Butler type jump.

Their third year per 36 numbers are pretty similar. Played with each other in college, have worked out together in the off season in the past.

Biggest difference is that Jimmy had a much larger sample size of him playing 36+ minutes a game in his third season. 

Could Jae actually put up 14 pts / 7 reb / 1.5 stl with acceptable shooting efficiency if he were playing starter minutes?

[Csfan1984]

I think he will be more like Eric Williams