PORTLAND — In a season where improvement is priority No. 1, Allen Crabbe’s play, impending restricted free-agency and where his game can continue to go from here at the age of 23 is one of the intriguing subplots for the Portland Trail Blazers.
After playing some of the best ball of his career, Crabbe is focusing on maintaining his consistency on the defensive end.
“Even though I’m having success now, I just continue to remind myself each and every night what got me here,” Crabbe said. “Remember the things that I was doing well and to not get away from those things. Like my defense and bringing that intensity every night.”
Defense was how Crabbe first had to earn his place on a team of established NBA veterans, but Crabbe’s offensive growth is easiest to see.
He’s morphed from regular inactive, to contributor, to the team’s third-best scorer. All of it has been filled with little bits of progress and small setbacks. He started briefly in his second season thanks to an injury and then found himself on the bench again.
It was a series ups and downs for Crabbe throughout which he found ways to keep an even keel. He also spent a lot of time with another swingman who knows his way about making a career in the NBA — former Blazer and current Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews.
“I hung around Wes a lot,” Crabbe said. “Coaches were telling me, assistants were telling me if you hang around him, you should watch how he was successful on the court.”
The mentorship didn’t just take place on the court either. The two were next door neighbors in the Blazers locker room and Crabbe was frequently the target of older brother roughhousing or even using Crabbe to make the occasional point to a reporter during an interview.
It was a scene that was repeated time and again in Crabbe’s first two seasons, Matthews drinking coffee and Crabbe usually having dinner.
But while a friendship formed off the court, Crabbe picked up some things along the way.
“He was physical with players defensively, how we moved without the ball, how we got shots for himself and stuff like that,” Crabbe said. “Being around him and watching him, I can say that I picked up a few things from him.”
Crabbe’s approach to defense is also somewhat reminiscent of his mentor.
“Even if they can score once or twice, as a defender I look back at how many times did I let my guy score on me tonight or being in the right position on help defense,” Crabbe said. “Whatever it might be. Just keeping that focus. Not to get comfortable or relaxed because I’m getting some minutes and staying on the floor.”
Crabbe continued: “I just don’t want to see slippage in what got me that opportunity. Like I said, the more and more I played. I can’t let have slip-ups. And I understand that you’re not going to have a perfect game every game. The areas that I know that shouldn’t have any slippage, I can’t allow that to happen.”
Defense is not a commodity the Blazers are rich in. They’re currently 21st in the NBA in defensive rating and Crabbe usually draws the most important of assignments when he hits the court.
In terms of raw scoring numbers, Al-Farouq Aminu has Crabbe beat, but Crabbe’s efficiency numbers and midrange shooting game are things that set him apart.
Crabbe is one of the better two-point shooters in the NBA this year, ranked 12th in the league in 2-point field goal percentage overall and is fifth among guards in that statistic.
Aminu has shot the 3-pointer well, but Crabbe’s in-between game makes him a very valuable commodity in a league where nearly every NBA defense is OK giving up midrange shots.
A restricted free-agent next summer, Crabbe is putting himself in excellent position. It was a big year for him, a summer that included having to slow down on his beloved cheeseburgers.
While the Blazers are going through one of their roughest stretches of the season, there’s no doubt that the sacrifice and work for Crabbe has paid off.
