Secaucus, N.J.—For a moment Tuesday night, Nets fans centered their high hopes on NBAE headquarters in Secaucus, N.J.

The 3.25-percent possibility that the placard in the hand of NBA President, League and Basketball Operations Joel Litvin wouldn't reveal a Nets logo still existed, and with it, the anticipation of a top-three 2009 draft choice.

But the familiar silver-and-navy diamond appeared, guaranteeing the Nets would own the No. 11 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, which will take place June 25 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Clippers will pick first overall, followed by the Grizzlies and Thunder. Nets President Rod Thorn, representing the team at the Lottery, was disappointed not to advance, but relieved not to drop.

"We definitely feel that there will be some player at 11, or lower than 11, who will be a really good player in the NBA, because that's the way it is every year," Thorn said. "So we just have to get the right guy."

That's going to be tricky part in a draft considered to be wide open beyond a consensus No. 1 in Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin and Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio. Thorn would have loved having the chance to draft Griffin, a rugged, athletic power forward who could have slotted alongside last year's successful No. 10 pick, center Brook Lopez.

But that forever will remain a frontcourt fantasy. Looking at other options, the draft is thought to be point-guard heavy, with players like Rubio, Brandon Jennings, Ty Lawson and Jonny Flynn expected to be selected in the lottery or mid-first round. The Nets, with Devin Harris coming off an All-Star campaign, are set at the lead guard, and likely to focus on finding a forward they can slot in the rotation, whether it's at 3 or 4.

That in mind, multi-position eligibility might play a part in the decision-making process. The Nets' rotation last season regularly ran nine -- and sometimes 10 -- players deep, and that was with veteran forward Eduardo Najera missing most of the year due to injury. Someone like Louisville's Earl Clark would seem to be an ideal combination of skills and size for a system that benefited players able to fluidly swap spots during substitutions.

"I think there's a tremendous diversity of opinion about who to take and who people think are the better players once you get to four or five," Thorn said. "I think you can get the same type of player at 11 as you can get (higher)."

The Nets are hoping whatever pick they make so much as approaches the success of Lopez, who surprisingly dropped to No. 10 after being projected as high as third. The 21-year-old center finished the season averaging 13.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 30.5 minutes per game, earning him a third-place showing in the Rookie of the Year voting behind winner Derrick Rose of the Bulls and Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo.

A look back at past No. 11 picks offers some solid results, familiar names like that of Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe (No. 11, 1980), Reggie Miller (1987), Allan Houston (1993) and Robert Horry (1992) or more recent picks like Andris Biedrins (2004) and Mickael Pietrus (2005). But the last four No. 11's -- Fran Vazquez, J.J. Redick, Acie Law IV and Jerryd Bayless -- have barely made an NBA impact, save for Redick's strong Eastern Conference Semifinal showing against the Celtics.

Knowing that has Thorn weighing all aspects of the upcoming pick, and he'll take input from Vandeweghe and Director of Player Personnel Greg Polinsky as the Nets conduct individual workouts throughout the next month. The team will also be hosting a massive, multi-team, multi-prospect workout at the team's Practice Facility on June 12th and 13th.

"In today's world, with the salary cap and the luxury tax, I think it's very important that you pick players (carefully) because if you pick them in the first round, you have them for three years," Thorn said. "So I think it's very important that you pick judiciously and get somebody can help you, especially when you're picking at the spot we are."

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