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Three Rookies, Three Free Agents and Opportunities Aplenty (Season Preview Pt. 3) Oct. 29, 2008 by Ben Couch - NJNETS.COM |
East Rutherford, NJ — An NBA team has a good draft if it selects talented players with potential and character, particularly if they fill needs. If a team can land one player they’ve targeted, they’re lucky. But three? For the New Jersey Nets … well, that's what happened.
First, Stanford center Brook Lopez dropped to the Nets at No. 10, after being projected as a top-five selection. Then California forward Ryan Anderson stayed on the board until New Jersey’s second pick, No. 21 overall. And finally, most surprisingly, Memphis swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts slid to the 10th pick of the second round (No. 40 overall). It was an unexpected coup -- the Nets had failed in their attempts to trade up for a third first-round pick to ensure they’d have a shot at drafting him.
“Chris Douglas-Roberts I think is going to surprise some people,” said General Manger Kiki Vandeweghe. “I think we got very, very lucky to get him at 40. It was a great pickup, and he feels like he’s got a lot to prove. He’s a very competitive player.”
That competitiveness helped Douglas-Roberts lead Memphis to the 2008 NCAA Championship game, where they fell to Kansas. “CDR” earned First-Team All-America honors and was named Conference USA Player of the Year after averaging 18.1 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting .413 from deep (.541 overall)
“It’s crazy,” Lopez said. “(Chris) is so laid-back when he’s off-the-court; he really just likes to chill. It’s fun talking to him and screwing around. But when you get on the court, it’s completely different – he’s determined to win. It’s great to be around someone like that. He has to win every drill, every shooting contest.”
Anderson likely provides a stiff challenge in those shooting contests. The 6-10 forward has dealt with questions about his athleticism since he was a “chunky” middle-schooler, but has found ways to be highly productive throughout his career. As a sophomore at Cal, Anderson led the Pac-10 with 21.1 points per game, bombing away at a .490 clip (.410 from three) while averaging 9.9 rebounds.
After a solid showing at the Orlando Summer League, where he averaged 13.2 points and 5.0 rebounds, Anderson worked hard to improve. By the time training camp ended, he was earning more praise than anyone else on the team.
“I’m extremely impressed with Ryan Anderson,” Carter said. “Just watching him from Day One, watching his turnaround, the confidence he’s playing with. He’s a rookie who’s not afraid to ask questions, and I think that helps him feel comfortable. He’s had an unbelievable turnaround. He’s playing great basketball. I think he was the guy at camp who probably had the best camp of anybody.”
With Anderson stretching the defense, and Douglas-Roberts slashing through it, the low block is left to Lopez. Playing for the Cardinal alongside twin brother Robin, the 7-footer averaged 19.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 25 games as a sophomore.
A smooth shooting stroke and adept post play led Stanford’s offense to flow through his hands, earning him a reputation as the “offensive” twin. But Lopez aims to make an early impact on defense, where he hopes to develop into the kind of player teams can anchor their scheme around, modeling his game after Tim Duncan’s.
Off the court, Lopez might be an unprecedented NBA commodity. He’s been writing since an early age, penning short stories, graphic novels and screenplays, often collaborating with Robin, who favors drawing. But don’t think he’ll be distracted.
“Basketball's always been my first love,” he continued. “I've done it for 20 years, for as long as I can remember. I taught myself to dribble, taught myself to shoot at age two, just watching my brothers play. I've been around gyms my whole life. My brother and I are gym rats. I don't see how that can be a question.”
Despite a collegiate rivalry (Lopez/Stanford with Anderson/Cal) and a regional split (California boys Lopez and Anderson with Douglas-Roberts, who’s from Detroit), the group bonded quickly. Anderson and Lopez “clicked instantly” and chose to live near each other, while Douglas-Roberts gets a kick out of the duo’s West Coast vibe.
“Yeah, we’re real cool,” Douglas-Roberts said. “Our rookie class is close. They’re both from California, I’m from Detroit, but we have similar senses of humor. (Yet) we’re different, and that’s good, too.
“They always make jokes – I knew that from the press conference, because they were entertaining as well. Right from there I knew I was in a good place.”
The Free AgentsOpportunity. Keyon Dooling, Jarvis Hayes and Eduardo Najera each saw it. The opportunity to play, the opportunity to lead and the opportunity to build something.
Hayes and Najera signed as unrestricted free agents on July 11, coming over from the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets, respectively. Each is a 6-8 forward; Hayes is known for his shooting, and Najera, his defense.
Before joining the Nets, the 32-year-old Najera played 3 ˝ years in Denver. While he experienced success there – the team won no fewer than 44 games each season, making the playoffs all four times – they also flamed out in the First Round each time.
“Right now, to win in the NBA, you have to do it as a team,” Najera said. “Everybody has to be committed to the goals that we have as a team, and it hurts when somebody doesn’t do it. And it’s worse when nobody says anything about it. I think this team is going to be different.
“We have a great leader, Lawrence Frank, and a great player in Vince Carter. A lot of pressure is going to go to Devin (Harris) -- being the point guard you have to lead the team. (Us) veterans, we have to show the example every day at practice and we have to come ready to do it every single day, twice a day, for as long as we can. That’s how you start getting everybody else involved and everybody else committed and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Hayes expressed similar sentiments, though he’s new to the role of “veteran” at 27 years old. Drafted by No. 10 by the Wizards in 2003, Hayes joined a developing squad that leapt from 25-57 his rookie season to 45-37 and the Eastern Conference Semifinals in one year. When he looks at the Nets, the parallels become clear.
“There’s a lot of talent here,” Hayes said. “A lot of youth and a lot of building blocks. If we take the necessary steps that we need to take personally and take the challenge upon ourselves, I think we’ll do a lot better than a lot of people think we will.”
But when it comes to doubters, Dooling might have the best perspective of the three. The No. 10 pick of the 2000 Draft, Dooling struggled through four years with the Clippers. He left L.A. to play for the Miami Heat in 2004-05, finally finding his niche as a combo guard off the bench. Dooling provided defense and energy throughout the Heat’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The self-proclaimed “NBA survivor” drew interest from several teams, including the Nets, but signed with the Orlando Magic. After three seasons in Orlando, with New Jersey yet again seeking a backup point guard -- this time armed with a $3.3 million trade exception -- Dooling became a Net in a sign-and-trade deal.
“The thing I like about over here is that Kiki and (Team President) Rod Thorn and Coach Frank, they like my game and they appreciate what I do,” Dooling said. “And that’s very comforting to know. I don’t go out and try to do what I’m not. I know what I am, I know where I made my mark and I know where I made my ends meet. I try and execute that role.”
Dooling was the one that said it, but 14 other guys would echo him.
It’s about belief, it’s about trust, it’s about faith. It’s about knowing your Nets.
Part I | Part II | Part III
This is Part Three of a three-part preview written for the Official 2008-2009 Nets Yearbook. Visit Izod Center to pick up your copy today.
