Moore: Before we welcome KD, let's say goodbye to Jae and the Twins
Before we welcome Kevin Durant to Phoenix, let’s take a moment to say goodbye to Jae Crowder and the Twins.
We’re going to miss those guys.
They were great for this franchise and city, part of a rebuild that rewarded some of the NBA’s most loyal fans for a decade of wandering in the desert that had Charlton Heston asking whether there really was a “Promised Land.” (Google it, kids.)
Crowder, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson were part of a reported blockbuster trade between the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns that’s shifted the balance of power in the Western Conference. Golden State, Dallas and Denver are going to need to bring their best to deal with a Big Three of Durant, Chris Paul and Devin Booker.
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Crowder was a boss. Who could forget how he stood up to LeBron James in the playoffs during the NBA Finals run in 2021? Or how he served as a vital go-between for young guys and veterans? Players and coaches?
It was painful to see him separated from the team the way he has been all season, especially given how much the squad needed him during a January slump that had the team fighting for a spot in the postseason.
Wherever he ends up this season (Brooklyn apparently was dealing him to Milwaukee Thursday), it looks like he is going to be back on the court contributing for a contender, which is where he belongs.
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As for the Twins, Bridges and Johnson, they were the types of players who might not be so well known around the league, but everybody in Phoenix was aware of how vital they were.
Bridges has a consecutive games streak that has Cal Ripken and AC Green ready to get him a fraternity jacket. Bridges has been so reliable we could set our watches by him (except we’d only need to do it once since we don’t do Daylight-Saving time in Arizona.)
Bridges should have been the defensive player of the year last season. He made a case for an All-Star selection this year.
His play has been the fulfillment of a promise made when the Suns acquired him in the 2018 NBA Draft, an early sign that things were finally going to be different around here. No more drafting potential. No more projects. No more gambling on unknown guys from overseas. It was clear to anyone with an eye for talent that Bridges was going to be a pro for a decade or more, and he’s shown that in every single game since.
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Johnson, meanwhile, had the moment of a lifetime when he dunked on PJ Tucker in the 2021 NBA Finals. Johnson may or may not have taken off from the 3-point line. Al McCoy may or may not have skipped his trademark “Shazam!” for the “Boom-shaka-laka” of NBA Jam! And Tom Chambers may or may not have called Mark Jackson to gloat – but it was certainly one of those plays we’ll be telling our kids and grandkids about.
Johnson just kept getting better, and if not for injuries, we’d be screaming that he was robbed for sixth-man of the year last season.
Johnson and Bridges were a dream duo. Bridges would catch and drive. Johnson would catch and shoot.
And they patrolled the defensive perimeter like pit bulls in a scrapyard.
Landing Kevin Durant is certainly a reason to celebrate. It shifted the balance of power in the West. But we’re going to miss Jae and the Twins around here.
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Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @SayingMoore. There's plenty Moore where this came from. Subscribe for videos, columns, opinions and analysis from The Arizona Republic’s award-winning team.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Moore: Kevin Durant is great, but Jae Crowder and the Twins were, too
