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Is Allen Crabbe ready to join Portland’s nightly rotation?

By David MacKay

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Allen Crabbe was serviceable for the Portland Trail Blazers in times of need during the 2014-15 NBA season, most notably when teammate Nicolas Batum succumbed to injury. Considering that Crabbe only had 103 total minutes of NBA action under his belt at the time of his first career start, I would say things went pretty well. He played textbook defense, kept the team’s flow intact on offense, and even put a few points on the scoreboard. If that wasn’t pleasant surprise enough, the Trail Blazers won 8-of-9 games that Crabbe started, including matchups with the New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Washington Wizards.

Dec 15, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Allen Crabbe (23) during the first quarter of the game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

While Crabbe was not a regular starter in 2014-15, nor will he be in 2015-16, his reliability will not be overlooked. Players that can be plugged into an NBA lineup (especially at multiple positions, like Crabbe) without interfering with the team’s rhythm are vital components to any successful squad. Ideally, the Trail Blazers will not be injury riddled enough to require his assistance in the starting lineup next season, but increasing his role in the second unit would be a good idea. Crabbe averaged just 13.4 minutes per game in 51 games this season. It is worth noting that the Trail Blazers went 35-16 (.686) in games that Crabbe played, and 16-15 (.516) in games that he did not.

At this time, Crabbe is one of five players that are guaranteed to be on the roster (barring trade) next season. The other four are Batum, Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, and Meyers Leonard. The team could look totally different after free agency in July, so the Trail Blazers may want to give some serious thought to how they intend to use Crabbe moving forward. If Wesley Matthews and Arron Afflalo leave and McCollum becomes a starter, Crabbe could be the first shooting guard off the bench. If Dorell Wright leaves, Crabbe could be the first small forward off the bench. Could the Trail Blazers even find replacement wing(s) in free agency that fit better than Crabbe does already?

Supposing they are willing to pay a pretty penny (or exhaust their mid-level exception depending on how retention of their own free agents goes) for a more experienced backup, there will be wing options out there, but Crabbe is not at all a bad option himself. The Trail Blazers should still look to fill out the depth chart as needed, though committing to Crabbe’s development as well could pay dividends. He is only owed $947,276 for the 2015-16 season. Getting consistent contribution from a player whose contract makes up just 1.4% of the team’s salary (based on $67.1M salary cap) would allow the Trail Blazers to focus their financial attention on other needs.

Being realistic, the Trail Blazers will not re-sign all of their free agents this summer, meaning that until a seemingly better option comes along, Crabbe could be thrust into a somewhat larger role. Between Afflalo’s reported intention to opt out and Wright’s low priority among unrestricted Trail Blazers, chances are high that Crabbe will have the opportunity to rise in some capacity. Is he ready for that? The answer varies depending on whether the Trail Blazers need him to be more of a glue guy or a sixth man. The former role is as doable as the latter is improbable.

Crabbe’s strengths:

  • Three-point shooting – The deep game comes naturally for Crabbe, whose primary offensive purpose is to space the floor. His 2014-15 3PT% of 35.3 may not sound like much, but it placed him above a few other players that shot at a high volume from the arc, like Lillard (34.3), and Batum (32.4). Consider it a down year for all three.
  • Leaking out in transition – For whatever reason, Crabbe is exceptionally good at quietly losing his man when there is an opportunity for a fast break. Not an invaluable skill, as easy buckets count the same as difficult ones.
  • Individual defense – Crabbe has long arms, springy legs, and a talent for staying in front of his man. I wouldn’t go as far as to call him a lockdown defender, but he’s certainly sticky.

Crabbe’s weaknesses:

  • Playmaking – You can’t really run the offense through Crabbe and expect big things to happen. He needs someone else drawing attention to be at his most effective.
  • Ball handling – Most spot-up shooters take a while to confidently put the ball on the floor (Matthews, for example). Crabbe is not going to be weaving through traffic any time soon.

In all likelihood, the Trail Blazers will find a suitable role for him next season. At least, they should. At 23 years old, Crabbe is the youngest player on the roster and only just beginning to discover his potential. I believe that he is ready for more responsibility regardless of the direction that the Trail Blazers go this summer. His DNP days may not be at their end, but they should be fewer and further between if Portland commits to his future. He probably wouldn’t wow in nightly rotation, but he wouldn’t disappoint either, and there is something to be said for that.

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