Veteran forward Jae Crowder has played in only nine of the Milwaukee Bucks’ 20 games after being sidelined because of a left adductor injury. After undergoing surgery a few weeks ago, the 33-year-old is slowly returning to the court, doing individual work to ramp up his conditioning and regain his rhythm.
Although Crowder’s on-court presence and production have certainly been missed, he has not been negligent in helping the Bucks in any way he can. Whether being a vocal leader on the bench or providing advice to his teammates, Jae has made sure that his presence is felt even if he can’t be on the floor.
Use his voice
Bucks coach Adrian Griffin has ensured that Crowder’s connection with the team would not be severed during his time on the sidelines. As Jae was going through his recovery period, the veteran narrated how Griffin tasked him with becoming more of a vocal leader for now.
“Use my voice. I think Coach Griff had a message for me when I was going through surgery, ‘You didn’t have surgery on your vocal cords.’ That’s what he said. Just telling me that the group needs my voice,” Crowder shared.
Beneficial for the group
On a team with title aspirations like the Bucks, a veteran’s presence can never be understated. Having played in the league for 11 seasons, which includes two appearances in the NBA Finals, Crowder knows the insider information he has on different players is valuable to share with his teammates, especially the younger ones.
“I feel like my voice is going to be helpful for our group still, especially those young guys. And I’ve been doing a good job of just trying to help them, tell them what I see, and listen to those guys and try to help those guys as much as possible. So, I’m definitely using my voice right now,” Crowder added.
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