Three times in the last decade, teams with the worst record wound up with the fourth pick in the Draft: the Bulls in 2001, the Blazers in 2006 and the Kings last year. Over the last five years, the team with the sixth worst record walked away from Secaucus with the top pick, the Bucks in 2006, the Blazers in 2007.
That's not to say the draft was a bust for the three teams that fell or great for the two who moved up.
The Kings got the 2010 rookie of the year in Tyreke Evans and the Blazers wound up with LaMarcus Aldridge via a swap of the #2 and #4 picks in 2006. Not bad. Who'd you rather have in 2006, Andrew Bogut or either Deron Williams or Chris Paul? Or in 2007, Greg Oden or Kevin Durant?
So if the Nets wind up with #3 or #4, it's not the end of the world...and the Nets have contingencies. Assuming John Wall and Evan Turner are gone in the top two, the Nets would still have a choice of good power forwards, small forwards and one, Wake Forest's Al-Farouq Aminu, who can play several positions. If you read between the lines, Aminu, DeMarcus Cousins, Derrick Favors and Wesley Johnson all have strengths in the eyes of the front office.