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Brooklyn Nets 2017-18 player preview: Allen Crabbe

By Omri Benami

OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 19: Allen Crabbe #23 of the Portland Trail Blazers drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors during Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - APRIL 19: Allen Crabbe #23 of the Portland Trail Blazers drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors during Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2017 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Just one year after Portland matched their $75 million offer sheet, the Brooklyn Nets got their man: Allen Crabbe. The road here hasn’t been easy for the fifth-year wing. He endured a draft day slide and rotation logjams, but continued to work hard. Now he has the chance to have a breakout year this season in New York.

25-year-old Los Angeles native Allen Crabbe’s NBA career began with a chip on his shoulder. After winning the 2012-13 Pac-12 Player of the Year award at California, the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him in the second round. He was traded on draft night to the Trail Blazers for two future second round picks, and went nearly invisible in his first two seasons.

His response? Working out five times per week using trainer and friend Casey Trujeque’s grueling Bikram Yoga regimen. The result was posting a career year with over 10 points per game on 39 percent three-point shooting.

After declining Portland’s qualifying offer in the 2015-16 off season, Crabbe received a shocking four-year $75 million offer sheet from Brooklyn. The Trail Blazers feared the Nets would snag their rising sharpshooter, so they matched the offer.

Last season, Crabbe’s career hit a crossroads. Portland already had two superstar guards in Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, thus creating a logjam in the backcourt. Despite his usage decrease, he shot the second-highest three-point percentage in the league at 44 percent.  The consensus in Portland however, was that of disappointment. Crabbe was criticized for being one dimensional on offense, and struggling on defense.

Fresh off a .500 season and a first round exit, the Trailblazers found themselves well past the luxury tax threshold to boot. Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks used the opportunity to swoop in and get his man. He traded Andrew Nicholson (who Portland waived and stretched) for Crabbe in a one-for-one deal.

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First, let’s examine his defense. Crabbe’s defensive rating last year was 108.9. Lillard’s was identical, and McCollum’s was only slightly better. Portland’s defense overall was atrocious last season, as they finished in the bottom third of the league. Moreover, Crabbe’s block and steal percentages, 9.2 and 17.3, were in line with the Trailblazers’ starting guards.

Even with playing on a bottom tier defense, Crabbe finished the season with a positive defensive winshare. Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson’s emphasis on effort at the defensive end this season, coupled with the team’s strong finish defensively to end last season (with much less athleticism all around), look for Crabbe to improve in this area.

Offensively, he brings exactly what Brooklyn lacked last season, and at an elite rate. The Nets put up the fourth-most three-point shots in the NBA last year but connected on just 33.8 percent of those attempts. Crabbe’s perimeter shooting has improved every season, reaching Kyle Korver status in 2016-17.

With more playing time and a coach who’s known for player development, look for Crabbe to unlock at least one more dimension to his offensive game. A likely bet will be driving and finishing in the paint where the Nets have shoes to fill. If Crabbe can get to the stripe, his 85 percent career free throw percentage will serve him, and the team, well.

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Finally, there’s the winning factor. Portland made the playoffs in all four of Allen Crabbe’s years there. They even won two playoff series. For a Nets team looking to make that jump, his experience will be an added bonus.

D’Angelo Russell is clearly the new face of the franchise, and the Nets best hope at a superstar. Jarrett Allen is the draft pick with the high ceiling. Timofey Mozgov is the champion, and DeMarre Carroll is the veteran. But Crabbe is the 2017-18 Brooklyn Nets X-factor. If he can take the next step, so can this team, and he looks primed for a huge year.

If that’s not enough to get you excited, here are his top ten plays from last season:

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