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The Milwaukee Bucks haven't been at their best on the defensive end to begin the 2023-24 season, with the loss of Jrue Holiday proving to be tougher for them to deal with than initially expected. Thus, Jae Crowder, the combo forward who can knock down threes and defend multiple positions, started to play a bigger role to give the team more two-way balance. However, Crowder will now be out for a minimum of two months after undergoing surgery to repair the left adductor and abdominal tear he suffered.
At this point, it remains unclear just how long Crowder will be on the mend. But at the very least, the Bucks forward is in good spirits, looking forward to his eventual return to the hardwood if the latest post on his official Twitter (X) account is any indication.
“ILL BE APPROACHING THIS OBSTACLE WITH THE SAME DRIVE & DEDICATION I PUT INTO THE GAME. I LOOK FORWARD FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE BUILDING WITH MY TEAMMATES SOON. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WELL WISHES & TEXT MESSAGES.. 99 BACK SOON.! 🙏🏾🤞🏾💪🏾,” Crowder wrote.
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Jae Crowder sustained the unfortunate injury during the Bucks' Saturday night battle against the Orlando Magic. During that contest, Crowder played in just 17 minutes, tallying one point and two rebounds before exiting early.
Crowder was starting to play a more prominent role in the Bucks rotation, as the team was looking to put more defensively-inclined wings to help contain dribble penetration. The 6'8 wing was also getting more action to start the year as Khris Middleton is still working his way back to full fitness amid his minutes restriction. He was averaging 27.9 minutes for the first eight games of the season, averaging 9.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and two threes per game during that span.
With Crowder out for the foreseeable future, Malik Beasley and Pat Connaughton will have to be much better on the defensive end of the floor. There should be more minutes available for MarJon Beauchamp as well; Beauchamp has shown flashes of being an important two-way wing for the Bucks, although he is yet to put it together on a more consistent basis.
