The Celtics Can’t Afford to Lose Jae Crowder

Jae Crowder is arguably the most valuable player on the Celtics, and losing him for any amount of time would be devastating for the team

Jae Crowder went up for a layup early in the third quarter and came down awkwardly. He tried to play through it but eventually limped off on his own power to the locker room. At first it seemed like he might be able to return, however, now it seems like he might be forced to miss a couple of games.

The early diagnosis is seeming like Crowder suffered a high ankle sprain, which would be terrible news for Boston. That usually means he will have to miss a good amount of time, and that would be detrimental. The one positive is that Boston is off until Tuesday, giving Crowder sometime to rest.

It’s obvious to see the impact that Jae Crowder has on both sides of the floor for the Boston Celtics. He averages 14.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, and always guards the opposing team’s best player. His 1.8 steals per game and 102 defensive rating, according to Basketball Reference, is further proof of his ability to get the job done on both sides of the court every night.

Besides the fact that he is developing into one of the best two-way players in the NBA, he is the staple that keeps the Celtics’ rotation running smoothly. Even with Isaiah Thomas being as dominant as he has been, no one on the team would be a bigger absence than if Crowder were to miss any amount of time.

He is one of three players on the team that averages at least 30 minutes per game, and has started all 66 games. He has been the clear starting small forward since the start of the season, and has allowed Brad Stevens to use multiple different combinations of guards in the backcourt this season.

With Crowder out against Houston in the second half, Boston was forced to using a small ball lineup for much of the second half. A small ball lineup is occasionally useful, as Boston has the right players to use it, although, it opens up a lot of opportunities for teams on the other end, and puts a lot of pressure on the one big man to grab all the rebounds.

At 6’6″ Crowder doesn’t have the best size at small forward, but his quickness makes up for it. Crowder plays a lot taller than he actually is, making it possible for him to even play power forward 12 percent of the time this season. That’s usually when the Celtics turn to their small lineup, however, Crowder is a solid rebounder and is able to relieve some of the pressure off the lone big man.

Mar 9, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) reacts after a play as they take on the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

If Crowder were to miss any time, Stevens would have to stir up something quick to replace one of the most versatile players in the league. Evan Turner would seemingly replace him in the starting lineup, unless he wanted to run a three-guard lineup with Marcus Smart. The backup small forward spot, and the rotation in general would be in question though. As deep as the Celtics are, their small forward position is very thin, with Crowder and Turner being their only rotational players.

Terry Rozier saw a lot of action in Crowder’s absence, however, I doubt that Stevens would want to run a small ball lineup for a significant amount of the game. It would take a big toll on the Celtics defensively against teams that have multiple bigs on the floor at once, and would hurt their rebounding significantly.

While Jared Sullinger is 11th in the NBA with a 19.3 rebounding percentage, Amir Johnson has a lowly 14.1 rebounding percentage, and Tyler Zeller owns a 13.5 rebounding percentage. Being the lone big man on the floor puts all the responsibility on them, and the Celtics already give up the seventh most rebounds per game in the NBA.

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Turning to someone like R.J. Hunter would be Boston’s only hope, despite the rookie struggling during his little playing time with the team and in the D-League. While Turner’s minutes would go up to about 32-35 minutes a night, Hunter might have to see 10-15 minutes a night. Hunter hasn’t shown anything to think he could be a rotational player for Boston this season, and giving him minutes down the stretch could end up costing the Celtics the third seed.

As good as Isaiah Thomas has been this season, and as much as the Celtics are one well-oiled machine, losing Crowder could end up being the deciding factor between the Celtics getting the third or fourth seed in the playoffs. As well as the Celtics have played this season, the Miami Heat are still only one game out. It’s going to be a fight until the end, and Crowder is one of the main reasons for their success this season.

Next: Terry Rozier Making Strides for the Cetics

It’s obvious how important Crowder is, you don’t need stats to prove it. His presence on the court is felt every game, and will be missed if he’s forced to miss any time. However, it’s more important to make sure Crowder is 100 percent come playoff time.