Although Jae Crowder wasn’t able to play on Friday, he is expected to make his Utah Jazz debut on Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Due to the fact that all players involved in any trade must pass a physical before they can participate in basketball activities, Jae Crowder was unable to make his Utah Jazz debut on Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets. Nevertheless, despite missing his services, the Jazz were still able to come away with an impressive win for their eighth straight victory.
And while Crowder wasn’t able to suit up and hit the floor, he was still very much present and a part of the team.
This was especially evidenced by his waiting for each teammate in the tunnel after the game and congratulating them on the win as you can see in the video below:
.@CJC9BOSS greets his new teammates after the W#TakeNote https://t.co/m9DiBZZlvg
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) February 10, 2018
If that doesn’t bring a reassuring smile to your face about his fit with the team, I’m not sure what will. But just in case it didn’t, try this on for size. Get a load of what Crowder posted on his Instagram on Saturday:
https://twitter.com/BR_NBA/status/962465947947737088
He’s clearly excited to be a Jazzman and fans should be equally as thrilled. And although he was unable to play on Friday, it was made official on Saturday that, just as I speculated previously, Crowder will make his Jazz debut on Sunday in Portland.
Jae Crowder has been cleared and will make his jazz debut tomorrow in portland, league sources tell the salt lake tribune
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) February 10, 2018
His presence will be much needed as the Jazz will be putting their eight-game winning streak on the line against a tough divisional opponent in the Portland Trail Blazers against whom Utah could very well find themselves grappling for playoff position. Not only that, but Ricky Rubio is currently listed as questionable for the bout with hip soreness, so the Jazz will need all the healthy bodies they can get.
Jae Crowder will play for the Jazz tomorrow vs. Portland. Meanwhile, Ricky Rubio is questionable due to hip soreness.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) February 10, 2018
Rubio has been sensational of late and if he’s unable to go, his presence will certainly be missed. Hopefully Crowder and the rest of his Jazz teammates will be able to pick up the slack if such ends up being the case.
It will likely take Crowder some time to adapt to his new squad and an unfamiliar system, so his impact may be limited at first. However, hopes are high that head coach Quin Snyder will be able to maximize his talent and help him return to the caliber of player he was last season in Boston where he averaged nearly 14 points per game on 46.3 percent shooting from the field and 39.8 percent from deep.
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It will be incredible to see how Jae Crowder ultimately fits in with the Utah Jazz both this season and for the long term. His new journey will begin when the Jazz hit the court in Portland on Sunday at 7:00 PM MT.