Bucks get positive injury update on Jae Crowder

Bucks forward Jae Crowder, who underwent surgery in November after suffering a left adductor and abdominal tear, has been cleared to return to action for Wednesday’s game in Cleveland, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Crowder was a key part of Milwaukee’s rotation early in the season, averaging 27.9 minutes per night in his eight healthy games. He registered 9.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per contest with a .543/.533/.600 shooting line in those eight games before sustaining his injury in his ninth appearance on Nov. 11. He has missed the past 31 games.

The Bucks had the NBA’s fourth-best defensive rating in 2022-23 but rank just 19th in that category so far this season, so they’ll benefit on that end of the court from Crowder’s return. The veteran forward is a versatile defender with size who is capable of matching up with bigger wings.

Although Crowder started a couple of games for the Bucks in the fall, he’ll likely come off the bench as long as everyone’s healthy, since the club has settled on a starting five consisting of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and Malik Beasley.