Jae Crowder
For the record, I have been lower than consensus on Jae Crowder for the last couple of years. The "3-and-D" archetype has evolved past Crowder's skillset. You no longer can just be a guy who shoots open threes and defends well on-ball.
Now, great role players also need to be able to attack closeouts. Last season, Crowder was only in the 9th percentile in drives per 36 minutes and the 10th percentile in true shooting on drives (per Thinking Basketball).
Still, if you are getting a player to be your backup small/power forward, you are more than okay with them being a more traditional "3-and-D" player, and Crowder is still more than capable of that. Last season, he shot a solid 34.9% from three (48th percentile, per Dunks & Threes) on 5.2 threes per 75 possessions (52nd percentile).
But more importantly, Crowder can play big and give you positive defense. Take a look at his Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus (DEF EPM) over the last four years:
Season | DEF EPM (By Percentile) |
|---|---|
2023-24 | 86th |
2022-23 | 81st |
2021-22 | 95th |
2020-21 | 94th |
He also offers some positional rim protection. Of the 109 players who qualified as "starters" last year, Crowder was 11th in DIFF% (the difference between what a player normally shoots on those types of shots and what they shot against that specific defender) on shots contested within six feet of the rim (per NBA.com).