In December, on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the trade that sent him to the Boston Celtics, Jae Crowder noted how he said a little prayer for the opportunity the change in scenery afforded him. The Celtics executives, who acquired Crowder from the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster swap that shipped out All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo, probably thanked their lucky stars as well.
The Celtics were high on Crowder when he was acquired, but even they could not have fully anticipated the way he has blossomed here.