Key matchup:
Jae Crowder on Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder. They are former college teammates at Marquette. Both have super cool hair. Both were dangled in trade discussions for much of the season. Both are excellent defenders capable of guarding multiple positions. What’s not to like?
Crowder and Butler will likely spend most of the series guarding each other. In four games against the Celtics this season, Butler was stifled. He was effective from the perimeter but inside the arc was a disaster. Nearly a quarter of his attempts came inside the three-point line, either in the mid-range (where he shot 25 percent) or at the rim (where he shot 38 percent). If Crowder can have a similar effect on Butler in the postseason, the Celtics will cruise.
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On the other side, Crowder isn’t near the offensive weapon Butler is, but he has still been effective.
On the season, Crowder averaged a shade under 14 points a game and shot 39.8 percent from beyond the arc. He doesn’t need to be a big-time scorer for the Celtics to succeed – that’s what Thomas is for – but if he can keep Butler’s attention long enough, he can keep him away from Thomas.