NBA Position Rankings: Top 10 Small Forwards for 2017

9. Jae Crowder, Boston Celtics

If Chandler Parsons is the offensive version, Jae Crowder is the defensive version of the small forward model.

Crowder is the one player on the Boston Celtics teams thought they could pry away at the trade deadline, and the one player the Celtics seemed less likely to let go of. He is key to what they do on the defensive end.

Crowder averaged 14.2 points per game, so he is no offensive pushover. He shot a 51.8 percent effective field goal percentage, which is incredible considering he is a poor 33.6 percent 3-point shooter.

The difference for Crowder is on the defensive end though. He posted 3.5 defensive win shares last year and a 1.3 defensive box plus-minus. He had a very good season on the defensive end, and despite his poor shooting was a major contributor on the offensive end too.

Unless Gordon is truly on the cusp of stardom, Jae Crowder is the perfect model for Aaron Gordon. He is a good defender who fills gaps, hits 3-pointers when left open and fits inside an offense.

Gordon is certainly more talented and athletic than Crowder. There is more potential for Gordon to surpass Crowder in many ways.

At his worst though, the Magic have to hope Gordon can produce at Crowder’s level and fill in that important role for a strong defensive team.

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