I like Crabbe, but I wouldn't really want to see him play more mpg than he's at now. He's definitely a glue guy like Fez mentioned, and we absolutely need that, but we also need some consistent scoring from the bench and he's not someone I'd count on to get me 10+ points. The nice thing is Kaman's never seen a shot he didn't like, so he's consistent in putting up shots (and points). I'm hoping that when CJ comes back, he'll be a guy that within the flow of the offense can get 8-12 per night and Crabbe can continue to do what he does best. Those three, plus Blake running a few minutes at the point (his current 22mpg seems like a lot, but it's working), Freeland coming back and doing Freeland things without needing the ball really puts us at a decent second unit. I'm hoping Robinson can crack the rotation a bit as well so we could potentially use him when needed as an energy guy later in the season to give LMA and others rest, but I don't know how likely that is. Bottom line is that if CJ comes back and does decently, Crabbe fits very well with that second unit and we're in a great spot to push beyond the first round of the playoffs, even with a shortened rotation.
Big statement, I would love if it came true though because Wes is my favorite player in the league. Not saying Crabbe can't become better in the future, but I made the statement you quoted in context of the current team in the current year. Either way we're in a great spot thus far!
I love Wes too, Crabbe is so lucky to be learning under both Wes and Batum (Crabbe is like their love child as a player). The future is very bright, we are set for when LA/Wes eventually fade (won't be for awhile) IMO and for the present. Olshey/Allen/Stotts are really turning this organization into something to be VERY proud of.
if kaman wasn't taking so many shots for our second unit, do you think crabbe could consistently get 10 points? I say yes, it's just because Kaman does a lot of our second unit offense.
Maybe the best game of his career tonight. He looked confident and was a real threat on the floor. Looks like he belongs. Stotts trusts him now. Barton, Robinson, and Claver had their shots but never earned Stotts' trust. Maybe we don't need Gerald Green anymore.
What's really cool about Crabbe is our flow doesn't suffer when he comes in. Wait until CJ is back and we could be 2 deep on every position
Man, he was aggressive tonight and looked really comfortable doing it. Gotta lot of confidence in who he is growing in to.
Man, me too. His numbers don't jump off the page & his PER may be < 10, but I find myself feeling confident with him in the game. D Jaynes was criticizing him on Talkin' Ball tonight because he's "not very aggressive". Whatever. What I see is that he's smart & doesn't hurt the team. He's the anti Will Barton. If Will The Thrill is the bat out of hell that runs you into or out of a lead, then Crabbe is just steady Eddie. Does all the little things, & stays within himself. But at the same time, his game is expanding. He's not just avoiding mistakes & knocking down a few open shots anymore. He showed 2 moves at the rim tonight (1 with the left, and another on a back door cut from Blake that he had to finish over Drummond) that showcased more athleticism/body control than you think he should have. Not sure what's going to happen with CJ coming back soon, & I don't get into all the metrics, but based on the eye test he should be out there.
As per Jabari Young Twitter: According to NBA stats, Crabbe has been left wide open 35% of the time, and is shooting 52.4% on those wide open looks #Blazers
Yeah Crabbe attacking the rim last night and finishing with ease in traffic was great to see. We have had a lot of three point shooters on this team who we wish had the ability to keep the defense honest by attacking the rim on occasion, but were only average at it unless they were able to get all the way to the rim and dunk it. But most of the time these guys are not able to get all the way to the rim. They all need a shot that is near automatic once they get in the lane. Last night Crabbe really looked comfortable with that shot. How long are his arms? They seem to be an asset on O and D. Nice to see Wes improve his floater as well. Much needed......
That was great to see. It's been a long time since someone other than a PG had that skill on this team. Hopefully this wasn't a one time occurrence and he keeps on developing it.
