You all make great points, but he was the third-best shooter in the NBA. In this day and age, with shooting so predominant, that arguably makes him the third-best scorer in the NBA.
And since offense is more important than defense on an individual level, that arguably makes him the third-best player in the NBA.
I don't know, guys, talk me down from this ledge.
Shouldn't be too hard.
Crabbe was not the 3rd "best" shooter in the league last season and he sure as hell wasn't the 3rd best scorer in the league.
He was 2nd in 3FG%, but ranked tied with Brook Lopez for 46th in made 3-pointers. He shot a high percentage, but on fewer attempts than most other players in the top 50 in made 3-pointers. There were 17 players that made more 3-pointers than Crabbe and also shot >.400 3FG%. Many of those players made 2x more 3FGs than Crabbe did. Even Ryan Anderson, who
nobody wants, made way more 3FGs than Crabbe (204 vs. 134) and shot .408 3FG%.
And that's the one thing Crabbe does well. There are other ways to score than making wide open 3-pointers. Of the players who played at least 24 MPG, Crabbe ranked 100th is scoring. He doesn't drive to the basket and he doesn't get to the FT line. By my count that makes him the 100th best scorer in the league, not the 3rd best.
In terms of overall production, Crabbe does very little other than knock down wide open 3-pointers.
Of the top 50 players in made 3-pointers, Crabbe was 47th in PER. For the last two years, he's been one of the worst rebounders in the league for his size. His AST% of 6.1 is pathetic for a guard. Meyers Leonard is better at creating opportunities for his teammates than Allen Crabbe (2016-17 AST: Allen Crabbe 6.1, Meyers Leonard 8.4; 2015-16 Allen Crabbe 7.2, Meyers Leonard 10.6).
Crabbe's lack of a decent handle makes it difficult for him to create shots for himself. He was assisted on 77.5% of his 2FGs and 97% of his 3FGs. That means Crabbe only created 38 2FG and 4 3FG for himself all season, basically 0.5 FG/G that were not created by others.
Yes, he can make open 3-pointers, but he can't create for himself, or others, is a terrible rebounder, a pathetic passer and a weak defender. His raw numbers will go up as a starter with an increased role on a bad team, but he is who he is. It's not like he's suddenly going to develop a C.J. like handle or become a lock down defender or a rebounding stud. Without Dame and C.J. next to him, defenses will focus more on stopping Crabbe (i.e. not leaving him open at the 3-point line) and force him to put the ball on the floor. They will take away his one strength and exploit his many weaknesses.
Some here are predicting Crabbe will break out and become an all star in the weak Eastern Conference. I don't think he has a chance in hell. The East may be weak, but it's not that weak.
BNM
