The Milwaukee Bucks took on the Miami Heat in their first game back from the NBA All-Star break, and all eyes were on Jae Crowder.
It was set to be Crowder’s first NBA action since May 2022 and his Bucks debut following a trade deadline deal that brought him to Milwaukee. So, how did Crowder look after such a long layoff? Let us take a closer look at his performance in the Bucks’ win over the Heat.
Assessing Jae Crowder’s debut in Milwaukee Bucks’ win over Miami Heat
With 4:30 left in the opening quarter, Crowder checked in and received a standing ovation from the Milwaukee crowd. After the cheers, Crowder scored his first points as a Buck by nailing a 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down. Seconds later, he was fouled and knocked down one of his two free throws. He also pulled down a rebound in a solid stretch of minutes.
Crowder had some struggles with his shot in the second quarter, having missed both of his looks. The first was a floater in the paint, and the veteran made it audibly clear that he would have liked that one back by letting out a yell after missing. On Milwaukee’s next possession, Crowder took a step back mid-range jumper, which he missed. However, it was tapped in by Brook Lopez. He also snagged another rebound in the period.
In the third quarter, Crowder buried yet another 3-point attempt, which pushed Milwaukee’s lead to 20 points. He also tallied a steal after a bass pass from Miami’s Tyler Herro and almost had an and-one on the other end, but it was ruled an offensive foul. Aside from another board, that was all from Crowder in the third. In the fourth, Crowder knocked down a floater to get his first bucket from inside the arc on the night.
In total, Crowder finished with nine points on 3-of-5 shooting, including a perfect 2-of-2 from the perimeter. He also notched three rebounds and a steal in just over 16 minutes.
Overall, Crowder played well in his Bucks debut, especially considering this was his first legitimate NBA action since last May. The vet looked confident in his shot, and aside from a couple of hiccups in the second quarter, the results were great. His defensive effort was also solid, as Crowder was a pest on that side of the ball all night. Crowder’s lack of rust could possibly be attributed to him and fellow Bucks Bobby Portis and Joe Ingles working out together in Miami over the All-Star break.
Crowder is bound to get more involved in Milwaukee’s plans as the season goes on, but as far as debuts go, this was a terrific outing for the newcomer.
Hopefully this is just the beginning of something special in Milwaukee for the former Golden Eagle.