Bucks Zone

“It’s nice to have him on your side!”- Coach Mike Budenholzer reacts to Jae Crowder’s first two games with the Milwaukee Bucks

Jae Crowder is doing what was expected from him for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Matthew Dugandzic

“It’s nice to have him on your side!”- Coach Mike Budenholzer reacts to Jae Crowder’s first two games with the Milwaukee Bucks
“It’s nice to have him on your side!”- Coach Mike Budenholzer reacts to Jae Crowder’s first two games with the Milwaukee Bucks /
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Jae Crowder has finally seen action for the Milwaukee Bucks, and for head coach Mike Budenholzer, the veteran forward has lived up to expectations.

Coach Bud praises his new player

Budenholzer was pleased with what he saw from Crowder in his first two games with the Bucks, putting up solid performances that helped the team sustain their hot streak.

"You need spacing, you need guys to make shots, you need guys to guard, and he was doing both," said Budenholzer after Milwaukee's 104-101 win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.

Against the Suns, Crowder came off the bench and played for 25 minuts, finishing with seven points, three rebounds, and one steal. Crowder's three field goal attempts came from the three-point area and made two of them.

The veteran's first game with the Bucks was a 128-99 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. Crowder played for 16 minutes in that win and tallied nine points, three rebounds, and a steal while going 2-for-2 from the three-point territory.

Fitting in

What Crowder did in his first two games as a Buck was the very reason why Milwaukee pursued him during the trade deadline, Budenholzer said.

"He's been what we expect from Jae, which is impressive to do, just to come in. I think his second game..both games, he just looks like the Jae Crowder that we've been competing against and going against," said Budenholzer, whose team is on a sizzling 14-game winning streak.

Crowder was the Bucks' lone acquisition during the trade deadline, as the 32-year-old presented a big thorn in Milwaukee's side during the Bucks' Finals matchup with the Suns in the 2021 season.

From the player that gave the Bucks headaches at one point, Budenholzer is just happy to see the 14-year veteran becoming one of the weapons that he can count on.

"It's nice to have him on your side," Budenholzer said.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.