New Jersey Nets: NBA Draft

Cheerleader of the Day: New Jersey Nets

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:00:49 -0400

Cheerleader of the Day

Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we have access to thousands of great college & NBA basketball photos to use on the site. Each day, along with our Picture of the Day, we'll be featuring a Cheerleader of the Day. In honor of the recent NBA Draft, we'll be focusing on NBA dancers until the end of July!

New Jersey Nets

- Check out past Cheerleaders of the Day!

- Also check out the Picture of the Day!

Jaycee Carroll Joins Nets Summer League Team

Press Release — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:02:35 -0400

LOGAN, Utah -- Former Utah State All-American Jaycee Carroll has agreed to be a member of the New Jersey Nets Summer League roster and will pla in eight games during a three-week period in July.

Carroll is one of 16 players listed on the Nets' Summer League roster, which includes 10 rookies, three players with one year of NBA experienc and three players with two years of NBA experience.

New Jersey will begin its eight-game slate at the Orlando Pro Summer League from July 7-11 and play against Chicago, Indiana, Miami, Orland and Seattle. Fans can watch each game in Orlando live on njnets.com and orlandomagic.com.

2008 Draft: Winners & Losers: Part One

Jason Brubaker — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:13:26 -0400

The 2008 NBA Draft is finally in the books, and most of the viewing audience are regaining their hearing after listening to four-plus hours of Stephen A. Smith, Dick Vitale and Stuart Scott. Sixty picks, a handful of trades, buckets of tears from proud mothers, some odd suit choices and A LOT of camera shots of Darrell Arthur in the green room later, it's time to see who came out ahead this year, and who will be saving seats for next year's lottery.

WINNERS

New Jersey Nets: The Nets pulled off a big trade prior to the draft, acquiring Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons while ridding themselves of Richard Jefferson's contract, and putting themselves in position to make a run at LeBron in 2010. Then, they managed to snag two quality players in the first round, getting Brook Lopez and Ryan Anderson. Lopez may not be a star, but he's a quality big man who should be a double-double machine for many years. Anderson can stretch the floor with his shooting, and could be a great weapon off the bench. But the biggest steal of the night may have been getting Chris Douglas-Roberts in the second round. CDR is a Rip Hamilton-type player, wiry strong with long arms, a good mid-range game, and a solid defender. He should be a solid rotation guy right away. The Nets do have a glut of big men on the roster, which means they might not be done dealing. The Nets won't be contenders next year, but they appear to be on the right path.

Portland Trail Blazers: Once again, the Blazers pulled off a great draft, wheeling and dealing throughout the night. When it was all said and done, they landed a terrific guard in Jerryd Bayless, who will team with Brandon Roy to give teams fits next year. Bayless isn't a pure point, but Roy is a playmaker from the off-guard position, so Bayless could operate as more of a scoring point next year. The Blazers also ended up with Nicolas Batum, a bouncy forward from France who might not contribute right away, but could be valuable down the line. They also managed to secure four future picks, meaning we can expect to see them just as busy at future drafts. With a healthy Greg Oden joining Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Bayless next year, the Blazers will challenge for the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference.

Indiana Pacers: The Pacers took a page from last year's Blazers' handbook, essentially rebuilding their team in just 24 hours. First, they rid themselves of chronically injured and tragically overpaid Jermaine O'Neal, freeing up a ton of cap space for the future. For O'Neal, they managed to land point guard TJ Ford, which means malcontent Jamaal Tinsley is likely on his way out also. Then, in the draft, they worked the phone lines and landed swingman Brandon Rush, who should be ready to contribute right away. Next, they picked up Roy Hibbert, who won't win any sprints anytime soon, but adds some much-needed size and interior defense to the roster. They also landed Jarrett Jack in the Rush-Bayless trade, giving them another solid PG on the roster. The Pacers should challenge for the playoffs next year, especially in the East.

Miami Heat: The lesson to take from this draft? Never, ever listen to draft rumors. Despite weeks of reports about the Heat being reluctant to draft Michael Beasley, stories about how immature he might be, and word of super-secret, last-minute workouts with OJ Mayo and Jerryd Bayless, the Heat drafted....Beasley. His scoring and rebounding should be a great fit with Dwyane Wade's perimeter ability, and if he stays out of trouble, he could be a star. On top of that, they managed to address their point guard needs by acquiring Mario Chalmers, whose toughness, defense and basketball IQ will be a great fit alongside Wade. After a dismal season, things are starting to look pretty good in Miami again.

Freshmen: In all, 12 freshmen were selected in the draft, including seven in the lottery. While it was no shock to anyone who saw the success they had in college last year, it's still a noteworthy accomplishment for the class. Some, like Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley, will be asked to play right away, while others, like Anthony Randolph or Kosta Koufos, will be given time to develop. But there is plenty of star potential for the class, and no one would be surprised if it eventually produces multiple All-Stars. With this class joining a league already stocked full of young, marketable stars like LeBron, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade, the future of the NBA looks plenty bright.

Pac-10: The Pac-10 is sometimes thought of as more of a football conference, but they proved they play some hoops too, as evidenced by the draft. The conference led the way with 12 players selected, including five in the lottery and two more in the first round. The banner of the class will be carried by lottery picks OJ Mayo, Kevin Love and Jerryd Bayless, who all have star potential. Even second-rounders like Kyle Weaver and DeVon Hardin could prove to be valuable pick-ups. Following the Pac-10, the Big 12 had nine draftees, the SEC had six, the ACC and Big East each had four, and the Big 10 had three.

Check back tomorrow afternoon for the Draft's big losers.

Draft: Top 10 Picks

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:45:57 -0400

An hour and a half into the 2008 NBA Draft, and ten guys have been picked. Nothing too extraordinary so far, though Charlotte's selection of DJ Augustin is a head-scrather.. replacing Ray Felton with another smallish point guard makes little sense. The Sonics/Clippers trade fell apart, and the Sonics took Russell Westbrook with the fourth pick. I've been down on him for weeks, a product of a good NCAA Tournament run in my opinion..

2008 NBA Draft - Top 10 Picks

1. Chicago - Derrick Rose
2. Miami - Michael Beasley
3. Minnesota - OJ Mayo
4. Seattle - Russell Westbrook
5. Memphis - Kevin Love
6. New York - Danilo Gallinari
7. LA Clippers - Eric Gordon
8. Milwaukee - Joe Alexander
9. Charlotte - DJ Augustin
10. New Jersey - Brook Lopez

New Jersey Nets: NBA Draft Team Needs

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:50:22 -0400

2007-08 Record: 34-48; 4^th Atlantic

Draft Picks: 10, 21, 40

Key Free Agents

F/C Nenad Krstic (restricted)

C DeSagana Diop

F Bostjan Nachbar

F/C Stromile Swift (player option)

How they got here and what they need

As it became more obvious that the Nets were headed in the opposite direction of winning a title this season, the wheels began to churn in regards to trading Jason Kidd. Eventually he was sent to Dallas, and in return came his heir apparent at the point in Devin Harris. Harris flourished in the newfound freedom, making plays both for himself as well as his teammates. But even with that and mainstays Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter, the Nets weren't good enough to sneak back into the playoffs. Jefferson can indeed be the go-to guy for this team, but what about VC? Do the Nets shop him in the offseason, or do they try to make another run with those two as the focal points?

Inside, this is a young team in need of some attitude inside, something that was sorely lacking this past season. An outside shooter would also be a priority, and with two first round picks GM Kiki Vandeweghe can address both holes early. But the aforementioned question about a possible trade will hang above the Nets' war room on draft night, and the answer to that question will most likely play a big role in what they decide to do.

Who they take

I expect the Nets to go big with the tenth pick. DeAndre Jordan of Texas A&M looks like the popular option right now, and while he is athletic his offensive game is a work in progress and I'm not sure about the toughness right now. But he does have Hubie Brown's favorite word: upside. And that's what will get him picked in the lottery.

Draft History (since 2000)

2007: Sean Williams (17)

2006: Marcus Williams (22), Josh Boone (23), Hassan Adams (54)

2005: Antoine Wright (15), Mile Ilic (43)

2004: Christian Drejer (52)

2003: Zoran Planinic (22), Kyle Korver (51)

2002: Nenad Krstic (24), Tamar Slay (54)

2001: Eddie Griffin (7), Brian Scalabrine (35)

2000: Soumaila Samake (36)