Crawford brings leadership to Nets

At just five years younger than his interim coach, Jamal Crawford is going to give the Nets more than just buckets in the NBA restart. He’ll add wisdom and a grown-up-inthe-room presence they’ll need.

“Looking forward to it, his leadership,” Jacque Vaughn said Friday via Zoom. “He has a tremendous amount of respect across the league. He’ll be able to talk to our guys, help them out in this different situation. He’s a grown man, he’s got kids, so he’s able to be extremely diligent in talking to our guys.”

At 40, Crawford is the NBA’s oldest active player — but one who faced his coach 21 times, and left an impression.

“What I do remember, his game being shifty, having an array of moves to get his shot off, a guy you enjoy watching, very creative,” Vaughn said. “Towards the latter part of his years, he’s become more of a ball-handler who can distribute. Always had the ability to make a shot. He’s a guy you could take to a playground across the world and he’ll feel comfortable playing on any floor. That’s a special talent.”

One the Nets gladly snapped up. Sans seven players — including Kyrie Irving and Spencer Dinwiddie — they needed firepower and experience.

Crawford will have to quarantine, then knock off the rust from not playing this season. But he scored 51 points in the 2018-19 finale against Dallas for the Suns. Fluke? He had 28 and 27 in the two games before that.

➤ After Kevin Durant inadvertently made waves by liking DeSean Jackson’s Instagram post widely deemed anti-Semitic, he promptly liked Jackson’s subsequent apology.

➤ None of the barbers in the NBA Bubble are going to get their clippers on Jarrett Allen’s fro.

“I’m going to keep it as it is,” Allen said. “I’m not going to let anybody touch it; just going to keep growing it out.”