Mikhail Prokhorov's luck didn't hold Tuesday night as the Nets wound up with the #3 pick in the NBA Draft. The Sixers got the #2 pick and the Wizards the overall #1.
"The thing about the draft is last year the Rookie of the Year was taken with the No. 4 pick. We're going to get a very, very good player," said GM Kiki Vandeweghe.
The general belief among basketball pundits is that there are at least five players with special talent: Kentucky's John Wall, Ohio State's Evan Turner, Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins, Georgia Tech's Derrick Favors, and Syracuse's Wesley Johnson. However, the pundits also think that there is little to distinguish the next 10 picks. The Nets also hold the 27th and 31st picks in the draft, which are unaffected by the lottery.
In a news conference before the lottery, David Stern said he expects much from Prokhorov in his bid to turn the Nets around. The commissioner said Prokhorov's money isn't going to be what turns around the Nets.
"He's going to do it by hard work and good management," Stern said. "That's what works -- drafting a good player that comes out the lottery and the draft, by surrounding that player with other good players, by making sure that people understand that he's committed to the entertainment experience at the Prudential Center."
Nets lose NBA Draft lottery, will pick third - Fred Kerber - New York Post
Nets can't land No. 1 pick - Fred Kerber - New York Post
Nets gain third pick in NBA Draft, while Wizards take No. 1 overall selection - Michael J. Fensom - Star-Ledger
Nets settle for No. 3 pick in NBA Draft - Al Iannazzone - The Record
Euphoria Denied - Nets Go From Worst to Third Pick - Al Iannazzone - The Nets Insider
Nets lose out on Wall, will pick third in NBA draft - Julian Garcia - New York Daily News
Wizards Go From Chaos to the Top Draft Choice - Howard Beck - New York Times
Wizards' future brightens; Nets' bad luck continues - John Schuhmann - NBA.com
Favored New Jersey Nets fall to third in lottery - Kieran Darcy - ESPN New York
Fortune Finally Smiles on the Wizards - Rob Peterson - FanHouse
Wizards pull upset in NBA draft lottery, grab No. 1 overall pick - AP
Stern excited about playoffs but looking to July - Tom Canavan - AP
Wizards Win NBA Lottery for Top Pick in Draft; Nets Get 3rd Pick - Erik Matuszewski - Bloomberg
Nets Land Third Pick, Focus Shifts Forwards - Ben Couch - New Jersey Nets
Wizards Win NBA Draft Lottery - Jason Fleming - HoopsWorld
Wizards 'Kvelling' Over Top Pick - Alex Raskin - HoopsWorld
Prokhorov still optimistic after lottery - Adam Zagoria - SNY
No Wall, No Problem; Nets Owner Still Confident - Adam Zagoria - Zags Blog
DraftExpress: 2010 NBA Draft Lottery Quotes - Draft Express
Nets' worth to LeBron James might have fallen with draft position - Brian Windhorst - Cleveland Plain-Dealer
LeBron Watch: Sports' toughest beat - Jon Friedman - Wall Street Journal
Lottery loss hurts Nets' shot at LeBron - Mike Monroe - San Antonio Express
Draft lottery works out great for Bulls - John Jackson - Chicago Sun-Times