#Jamal Crawford has chance to ‘dazzle’ Nets during NBA restart

The fact Jamal Crawford might be the most intriguing part of the Nets’ restart says a lot about how decimated their roster is.

It may say just as much about Crawford.

A 40-year-old who was out of the NBA this season, Crawford has a long history as a scorer. Scouts and players alike say he’ll help an offensively challenged team win games — even if winning is actually a losing proposition, and costs the Nets in the long run.

The Nets sit seventh in the East, a half-game in front of Orlando and six ahead of Washington. If they miss the postseason — say, getting knocked out of a play-in by the Wizards — the Nets would get to keep the lottery-protected first-round pick currently bound for Minnesota.

“The best thing for them would be not to make the playoffs, to get your pick back,” Jalen Rose told The Post.

“If you’re choosing, and you’re looking at the roster that’s going to take the floor — [missing] Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie, Wilson Chandler, Michael Beasley — the [only] thing I’m enthusiastic to see with the Nets is Jamal Crawford do his Carmelo 2.0. For the Nets other than that, get that lottery pick.”

Rose — running the JRLA Celebrity Golf Classic in Detroit in August — also wants to see his fellow University of Michigan product Caris LeVert mesh with Crawford.

“I expect both of them to dazzle and do work for the Nets in the bubble,” Rose said.

Crawford dazzled when he last played in April 2019, his last four games scoring 19, 28, 27 and 51 points in his season finale. At 39 years and 20 days, he was the oldest NBA player to ever crack 50.

But for the 60 games prior, he just looked plain old, averaging 6.4 points on 36.4 percent shooting. The defense — never Crawford’s strong suit — was his career-worst, and he went unsigned in the offseason.

“It’s just the economics of the game that allows players like Jamal to be out of the league,” Rose said. “But when you look deeper into the boxscore, I’m like wait a minute, he averaged 30 his final month, and his last game he had 50?

“He deserves a job from training camp. Now I think being back in the bubble — going one-on-one, undressing some people and making highlight plays, he and Caris balling — he now goes into next season if not a member of the Nets, he’ll be on somebody else’s team based on that opportunity.”

Scouts who spoke with The Post agreed. Bryan Oringher, who has scouted for Toronto, Atlanta and Washington — said Crawford will definitely help the talent-starved Nets.

“Jamal is 40 so maybe not a long-term piece, [but] maybe next year, too. I was shocked he was out of the league,” Oringer told The Post. “A good veteran, phenomenal scorer, a guy who can create his own shot off the bounce, play a little 1 and 2. Not a huge defensive guy, but great midrange player off the dribble and can get his own shot off against anybody. They call him crossover for a reason.”

An Eastern Conference scout said since Crawford can still score 25 or 30 points to win a playoff game, and his ability to get his own shot will help a team bereft of such players.

“[He’s] instant offense, like instant oatmeal … I like the signing,” the scout told The Post. “It’s an offensive-oriented league and especially in the playoffs: That’s what [he] does.

“Joe Harris, Jarrett Allen, those guys aren’t creating their own shot, but Jamal can definitely get [his] own shot off, like LeVert. That’s a valuable skill. It’ll make them exciting to watch in Orlando. Maybe Jamal has a role off the bench next season. … He’s a big-time iso player, crafty mid-range scorer: He deserves a chance to see what he can do.”