Jae Crowder brings toughness, defensive mentality to Sacramento Kings

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First and foremost, happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there in The Kings Beat universe. Hopefully everyone out there got a moment to step away and enjoy a few hours with family and friends. 

The Sacramento Kings (9-10) spent a portion of the holiday flying from Minnesota to Portland where they’ll take on the Trail Blazers (7-12) Friday evening before returning to Sacramento to welcome in Harrison Barnes, Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday evening. 

Sacramento is fresh off a come-from-behind win over the Timberwolves on Wednesday that saw De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis rally the team late. It wasn’t a perfect showing for the Kings, but after four straight losses, they’ll take the 115-104 victory over the T-Wolves.

The big surprise of the day was the appearance of Jae Crowder in the starting lineup. The 34-year-old forward officially signed a “rest of the season” contract with the Kings on Wednesday and then played 27 minutes in the win. Surprisingly, the 13-year NBA veteran didn’t look rusty at all despite the lack of training camp or early season opportunity in the league.

Nuts and bolts

Crowder worked out for the Kings during the build up to training camp, but the team chose not to add him or any of the other free agents they worked out. As of now, it appears that he’s signed a one-year deal with the Kings, likely for the veteran minimum of roughly $3.3 million, of which $2.1 million will count against the salary cap.

The Kings opened the season with 14 players under contract, so they had a roster spot and there was no need to waive a player.

Why sign Crowder now?

To be honest, the Kings could have used Crowder from the start of training camp, especially with Trey Lyles, Kevin Huerter, Orlando Robinson, Devin Carter and Jordan McLaughlin all missing time due to injury.

With Lyles sidelined again, this time for a minimum of three to four weeks with a calf strain, the Kings are light on the frontline. When you add in the lingering back problems for 35-year-old DeMar DeRozan, there are minutes to be had in Mike Brown’s rotation.

The Kings value roster flexibility and they typically roll with 14 players. But the need for a veteran player seems to outweigh the desire for flexibility at this point. The Kings can still open roster spots by waiving a non-guaranteed player or two.

This is an emergency situation and the fact that Crowder was still available was too much to pass on.

What does Crowder bring to the table?

If you aren’t familiar with Crowder’s game, he is an NBA tough guy. In his opening start against Minnesota, Crowder could be seen jawing with Julius Randle from the opening tip and this isn’t a new element to his game. He brings the type of physicality and no-nonsense approach that the Kings desperately need.

For most of his career, Crowder played primarily at the small forward position, but over the last handful of seasons he’s been used more as a power forward. Listed at 6-foot-6, 235 pounds, he is a powerful, below the rim defender with the ability to stretch the floor. 

Crowder has career averages of 9.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He’s a career 41.9 percent shooter from the field and 34.8 percent from behind the arc, although he’s hit 36.2 percent from 3-point range over his last five seasons.

Last season in Milwaukee, Crowder averaged 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 23.1 minutes over 50 games. He was a reliable rotational player for a 49-win Bucks team.

There should be concerns about how much tread Crowder has on his NBA tires, but this is a budget pickup that should help compliment the rotation. Crowder has over 800 regular season games under his belt and another 115 games of playoff experience, including two trips to the NBA Finals. 

How does Crowder fit?

Brown already showed his hand on this front. Crowder is going to play. When DeMar DeRozan returns from lower back inflammation, Crowder will likely move to the bench, but don’t be surprised if he is the first player elevated to the starting lineup when injuries hit again throughout the season.

Despite his age, Crowder is still switchable on the defensive end. He’s also the type of veteran that Brown likes to rely on. Crowder won’t play a lot of small-ball center, like Lyles has, but there is a path for 20-25 minutes per game on most nights for the veteran forward.

This isn’t a long term solution and the Kings still need more length and athleticism at forward, but Crowder brings intangibles to the table that the Kings desperately need.  

What does this mean for the rest of the reserves?

The players that this could impact the most are Kevin Huerter, Doug McDermott and possibly Isaac Jones. Huerter’s ability to play both the two and the three could keep him in the rotation, but his current shooting slump already cost him a starting spot and his move to the bench hasn’t led to more opportunities.

Like Huerter, McDermott has struggled to find his shooting stroke early in the season. He hasn’t received enough minutes to make any real judgment, but finding minutes for both Crowder and McDermott won’t be easy, especially when Crowder brings more on the defensive end.

Jones played a career-high 21 minutes against the Timberwolves and that was with Crowder in the lineup. Adding another shooter and veteran influence on the court might open the door for more minutes for the rookie two-way player. His length and athleticism are needed and his ability to play both the four and the five gives Brown more rotation versatility. 

There is a world in which Crowder and Jones play substantial minutes together. Brown will have some decisions to make in the future when Lyles returns, but that’s a month or more away.