Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
A can’t-miss proposition: Crowder adjusting to Heat
MIAMI — The throw-in keeps throwing them in.
That has made the Miami Heat’s move at the NBA trading deadline for Andre Iguodala a winning proposition regardless of Iguodala’s contribution.
It turns out that Jae Crowder did more than balance out, with his salary, the trade with the Memphis Grizzlies that sent out Justise Winslow, James Johnson and Dion Waiters.
He also has balanced out the Heat rotation, typically entering well before Iguodala.
“He is an experienced, high-IQ player on both ends,” coach Erik Spoelstra said as his team prepares for Wednesday night’s game against the Orlando Magic at AmericanAirlines Arena. “Defensively, he fills in a lot of different gaps. You can play him on four different players. He reads situations well and he has seen enough of these situations.
“He has been in great defenses, so he has great defensive habits. Then, on the other end, he does a lot of little things. Spacing helps, but he also moves the ball. You can use him in pick-and-roll situations, and I feel very comfortable with him.”
Then again, how could Spoelstra not, considering Crowder is shooting .451 on 3-pointers since his arrival, well above his career .337 level?
“This is a veteran-type team here. It’s a veteran-style offense. The ball hops,” Crowder, 29, said of his outside efficiency. “We know great shots. We know good shots and we know bad shots. When you have that mindset, you’re going to find yourself and find rhythm within the flow of the offense.
“I just feel like, obviously, our coaching staff does a great job pushing that through our team from top to bottom. So I guess give kudos to that. Nothing has changed mechanically for me. My confidence is there because I’m playing with a veteran group and the ball is moving.”
Adjusting is nothing new for the 6-foot-6 forward, whose eight-year career also has included stops with the Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz, as well as the Grizzlies and Heat.
“I’m not thinking as much as the first week I got here. I can tell you that much,” he said. “Obviously, I still have a long way to go with learning some things. But competing is something I bring to each team I go to. So that makes it a lot easier for me to catch on very fast, and just compete at a high level and get terminology and play calls as the game goes.”
As far as the team’s culture, that was well ingrained before his itinerary landed him in South Florida.
“Whenever I’m on the court, I just want to do whatever I can to help my teammates win the game,” he said. “I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll cheer ‘em on, if I’m off the court. I’ll dive on loose balls. I’ll get the winning rebound, hit the winning shot. I’ll do whatever it takes to win a game.”