Boston Celtics Free Agent Target: Allen Crabbe

Allen Crabbe is having a breakout season with the Portland Trail Blazers this season and could be on the Celtics radar this summer

I have always viewed Allen Crabbe as an under-appreciated talent with a lot of potential. The former second-round pick out of California finally had his breakout season after waiting patiently behind a deep Portland Trail Blazers team during his first two NBA seasons. This past season, Crabbe nearly doubled his minutes per night from last season (26 MPG) and played a significant role on a playoff team.

After not being a big part of the offense in his first two seasons, Crabbe averaged a career-high 10.3 points per game over his 81 games played and eight starts. He still came off the bench behind one of the best guard duos in the NBA – Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum – and Al-Farouq Aminu started all 82 games at small forward. Still, Crabbe set career-highs all over the board after he finally was given a sizable bench role and may be in line for a big payday this summer.

42 percent of Allen Crabbe’s shot attempts came from behind the arc as he shot 39.3 percent from three this past season. He finished with the 29th best three-point percentage in the league and would have ranked third on the Boston Celtics, first among wing players.

Boston was a fast-tempo, high-volume scoring team all season despite not having a true three-point specialist. They relied on seven-footer Kelly Olynyk, however, Olynyk struggled shooting after hurting his right shoulder and was ineffective when on the court. It left Boston with Jonas Jerebko as their best three-point shooter, although, Jerebko only averaged 15.1 minutes per game and wasn’t a major part of their offense.

Finding a young player who can shoot the three-ball consistently is a must for the Celtics if they want to take the next step. Allen Crabbe may not be the sexy name that fans want in this expected busy off-season, however, the Celtics have the money for mid-level players and Crabbe could have a big impact on an otherwise poor shooting team.

Crabbe is a restricted free agent this summer so Portland would have a chance to match any offer. It would take a little more money than if he was unrestricted, but he should still not come near a max-level deal.

Barely 24-years-old, Crabbe has developed into the offensive-minded player that many imagined when he left school. He’s not going to help a lot on the glass – 2.7 rebounds per game – and doesn’t play extraordinary defense, but he would provide the Celtics with a versatile player whose main focus is on offense.

With a season of heavy minutes under his belt, Crabbe has hit his stride and should continue to improve. He’s never going to be a 20-point scorer on a competitor, however, his 14.2 points per 36 minutes suggests he has the potential to get close to 15 a night. Besides, with his ability to score from anywhere, Crabbe would provide the Celtics with a scorer in a half-court offense.

As previously noted, Crabbe prefers to live on the three-point line and drive in if he doesn’t get an open look. He’s not a great playmaker, although, he can create shots for himself and get to the basket. 23 percent of his two-point attempts came within three feet and he was able to convert 71.1 percent of them. He’s not going to get into the lane all the time but he would provide the Celtics with a scoring wing off the bench, instead of relying on Marcus Smart.

The playoff run that Portland is on is only helping Crabbe’s free agency stock. Lillard and McCollum take most of the shots for Portland, however, Crabbe has scored double-digit points in five of six games when he attempted at least five field-goals. In the Trail Blazers first game against the Golden State Warriors, Crabbe went 0-of-3 from behind the arc but still finished with 15 points because he went a perfect 6-of-6 inside the three-point line.

Crabbe is still a young shooter and will have off-nights as he’s not a true three-point specialist, but he’s able to still contribute on off nights by knocking down mid-range shots or getting to the basket. When it comes down to it, Allen Crabbe may not have the best three-point stroke or percentage, however, he’s a bigger offensive threat than a lot of players who are strictly three-point shooters.

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The Celtics put up a lot of points this past season but still were one of the poorest shooting teams in the league. They need a player who can be an offensive spark off the bench and can knock down threes at a better rate than Smart or Evan Turner. Boston has a lot of good defensive players, however, still lack a true offensive-minded player to come off the bench and relieve some pressure off of Isaiah Thomas.

Allen Crabbe isn’t going to develop into a starter for Boston but he showed he can have an impact off the bench with Portland this past season. He might not be the defensive-minded player that the Celtics are used to but Boston needs a scorer who can come off the bench and act as a catalyst.

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The biggest problem will be offering him a contract that Portland won’t match and that won’t overpay Crabbe too much. Danny Ainge should at least look at the young scorer, but he might end up being too expensive for his liking.

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