The Dallas Mavericks have a burgeoning competition for playing time between small forward Jae Crowder and shooting guard Wayne Ellington, and a recent trip to the Dallas Mavericks' D-League affiliate for Crowder has made him more focused than ever.
Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle assigned Jae Crowder, along with center Bernard James and point guard Shane Larkin to the Texas Legends in order to give the trio a chance to get extended playing time.
Speaking with reporters in advance of his return to the Dallas Mavericks for tonight's home game against the Chicago Bulls, Jae Crowder admitted the assignment acted as a "wake-up call" for him--
"It was different, but it was basketball." Crowder added, “I just tried to have fun with it, play hard, play the right way and try to get a win.”
The Dallas Mavericks' young forward helped the Texas Legends end a 10-game losing streak with a 121-103 victory over the Los Angeles D-Fenders on Thursday night, posting a triple-double with 23 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists.
When asked what he got out of his quick D-League trip, Jae Crowder had no problem coming up with an answer: “Confidence. Knowing that I can still can play, even though when I’m up here (in the NBA) I’m in a limited role.”
The extent of Jae Crowder's role in the Dallas Mavericks rotation tonight against the Chicago Bulls is yet to be determined, but expect a motivated Crowder when coach Rick Carlisle calls him to the scorer's table.
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