With their starting lineup falling apart, the Brooklyn Nets were scrambling to sign replacements. Lacking a scorer, they signed 40-year old Jamal Crawford, a proven scorer. Basketball fans were overjoyed to see Crawford return after a 15-month absence from the league. But with two games down, the Nets are yet to feature him. And this wait will increase.

Jacque Vaughn, interim head coach of the Nets, confirmed this news. “Health will be No. 1 priority, but also putting a package of minutes underneath guys belts a little bit more going forward,” he said in the Nets daily Zoom conference call Sunday. “Again, we’re still in the process of putting (Crawford) in the best position by building him up steadily, knowing that we have four or five days between when these games are for real.” 

Crawford said he would have been in shape, had it not been for the pandemic. “I think I’d be up to speed if it wasn’t for the pandemic because I was on an NBA schedule still playing four times a week, 5-on-5 going against high-level guys. I’ve been at this level half my life now, so I’ve got that part down and the conditioning is coming, each and every day it’s getting better and better, so I’m excited to get out there.”

Will Crawford be enough for the Brooklyn Nets offense?

The first scrimmage game against the New Orleans Pelicans was a heavy loss for the Nets. Not only did they lose by 31 points, but they were also restricted to just 69. They probably could have used some offense from Crawford. The second game, however, was much better. They beat the San Antonio Spurs 121-114, with Caris LeVert shining with 27 points.

Not playing Crawford in the third game could hurt the Nets later. He may be able to get in shape during practice but some game time prior to the seeding games would have been helpful for 40-year old.

Crawford last played in April 2019, when he had the iconic 51 point game against the Dallas Mavericks. In that fiery performance, he went 7-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc but couldn’t seal the win for the Phoenix Suns. Although he will able to provide some important buckets, the Nets will not be able to survive in the playoffs, just relying on Crawford and LeVert.

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With the Washington Wizards not having Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans, the Nets should ideally be able to seal a playoff spot. They have their final scrimmage against the Utah Jazz tonight. They face the Magic in their first official game on July 31st, as they look to confirm their playoff spot.

Sources:

Jamal Crawford won’t make his Nets debut until season re-opener against the Magic

Brooklyn Nets Schedule

Nets vs. Jazz: closing out scrimmage schedule vs. Utah