Iguodala, Crowder leave an impression in Heat debut. Why both see promising futures here.
They have only been together for a few days, but Heat people — players and coaches alike — already know this much: It’s going to be a good fit with Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder, two mature, high-effort players who fit all the requirements associated with Heat culture.
They’re selfless, hard workers, defensive minded and versatile, four qualities the Heat values and four attributes that were on display in their Heat debuts in Sunday’s 115-109 loss at Portland.
“As soon as you look into a guy, [you can tell] whether he looks like a Heat guy,” Heat power forward Bam Adebayo said of Iguodala and Crowder. “They offer skill, they offer defense. It’s one thing I’ve always liked about Jae; he can get a team going just by his effort. It’s definitely contagious.”
Even though they had just one practice with the team, Erik Spoelstra had no hesitation playing both the entire fourth quarter Sunday. “They’re veteran players so they pick up things very quickly,” Spoelstra said. “It felt as if they were here for a while, not just joining us 48 hours ago.
“They are multidimensional, two-way players. Jae makes those Miami Heat, tough, inspiring plays. Andre does so many smart things. His IQ level is so high. Both those guys are going to help for sure.”
Iguodala had not appeared in a game since the NBA Finals last June, but believes the extended layoff was invigorating.
“It’s good to take a break from certain things,” he said Sunday night, before the Heat flew to San Francisco for Monday night’s game at Golden State. “I was laughing with somebody; it’s kind of a sabbatical. It helps you appreciate it the longer you’re away. When you’re back out there, you’re excited every possession. You want to put your stamp on the game. That’s what I tried to do” Sunday.
His conditioning was outstanding, so much so that he could play the entire fourth quarter without getting winded.
“Honestly, I haven’t played a pickup game,” Iguodala said. “The last time I played 5-on-5 was the Finals. I felt really good out there. I watched a lot of film going into [Sunday]. I don’t know if I ever watched that much film before a regular-season game. The only thing that’s next is get my shooting range and I’ll be fine.”
His early sense is that his skills will complement this roster.
“Goran [Dragic] and I see a lot of things on the court that we can do at the same time; we had a lot of good connections,” Iguodala said. “We’re going to be connecting on all types of different cylinders, inside and outside, with the shooting we have on this team. I didn’t connect with Bam as much, but you see that a lot happening in the future as well. You’re excited for the possibilities that can happen.”
Dragic calls Iguodala “an unbelievable player. Maybe you do not see it in the stats but when you watch, you see how much he does for a team. He defends five positions, gets everyone involved, can run the floor. He was an MVP of the Finals.”
On Monday, Iguodala returned to Golden State, where he made five NBA Finals and won three championships in five years, but insisted this would not be particularly sentimental.
“I’ve been playing a lot of games,” he said. “The emotional highs and lows really don’t happen anymore. Every game is another game. For this team, more important, is trying to get a win on this road trip. That’s the mindset I have going into it.”
The only negative for Iguodala?
He couldn’t get either number he has worn as a pro; Kelly Olynyk wears No. 9 and KZ Okpala has No. 4.
He said it’s too late in the season to attempt to buy a number from either teammate. So he settled on 28, which he said stems from both his birthday falling on the 28th (Jan. 28) and also an “inside joke I had with some friends on the number 28. It was six or seven numbers I was trying to get for various reasons, it was either retired or someone had it.”
As for Crowder, his 18 points and 11 rebounds on Sunday easily surpassed his season averages with Memphis (9.9 points, 6.2 rebounds). He also made five of eight threes, after converting 78 of 266 for the Grizzlies this season (29.3 percent). He said playing with a more seasoned team makes a difference with his offensive game.
“Coming from where I came from a young team, we tend to play differently every night,” he said. “It’s not a knock on them, it’s them trying to figure out the NBA game and it has been having me up and down. I feel I came in [to the Heat] with a clear head. I notice the ball movement these guys have and that alone will help you find a rhythm within the offense. I know what I can do on the offensive end with three-point shooting. My confidence never swayed because I put a lot of work into it.”
Crowder — who dove for loose balls multiple times on Sunday — believes his mentality fits with the Heat culture.
“You come here, compete, it fits right in,” he said. “All the stuff people don’t want to do in this league — dive for the loose ball, rebounding, boxing out — it’s key in this organization. You feel it as soon as you walk through the door. You know what you’re up against with the organization and you have to bring it every night.
“Each night, I bring my hard hat and compete for my teammates. I wanted to display that and I wanted to have my teammates’ back and I want them to have my back.”
This story was originally published February 10, 2020 at 10:56 AM.
