Los Angeles Lakers: 3 players to scout for free agency in Orlando
By Jason Reed
Los Angeles Lakers scouting target: SF Jae Crowder
Jae Crowder was LeBron’s teammate for less than an entire season as he played 53 games on the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2017-18 season before being traded in a whirlwind of moves at the deadline that was meant to freshen things up in Cleveland.
While that partnership did not last an entire year, it does not mean that he would not be a good addition to the Los Angeles Lakers. However, he, more than anyone, needs a solid showing in Orlando to drive his value up.
Crowder is a prototypical three and D player that does not need the ball in his hand to be successful and makes his living as a solid defensive player and an off-ball scorer. The problem is that we have seen two versions of Crowder throughout his career.
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He has always been a solid defender but his shooting has gone through some rough stretches. Prior to being traded to the Miami Heat, Crowder was shooting 29.3 percent from beyond the arc. However, with Miami, he is shooting 39.3 percent. His career-high for a season is 39.8 percent, a number that he has not been able to match.
However, Crowder has not really played with any teams that have great facilitators since being traded from the Cavs. So if he comes and shoots the rock at a good clip, it becomes easy for Rob Pelinka to convince himself that Crowder would be an excellent use of the MLE.
At his best, he adds another weapon to the offense and gives the team a much better defensive outlook against a team with two elite wings, such as the Los Angeles Clippers or Boston Celtics.