On Draft Night 2008, there was division within the Nets "war room" as the 10th pick approached. Kiki Vandeweghe liked Robin Lopez, the big Stanford defender who had done well in his Nets' workout. Others liked Jerryd Bayless, the 6'3" combo guard whose skill set replicated Devin Harris but was seen as too good to pass up.
Then, as the Bobcats were about to make their pick at #9, things changed. Robin's brother, Brook, was falling, mostly due to concerns with his Pre-Draft Combine numbers. He had finished last in a couple of skill tests. That didn't seem to deter Michael Jordan, picking for Charlotte. The Bobcats even called Brook Lopez's agent to tell him to pack his bags for Carolina. He was going to be the Bobcats center of the future.
Then, the unexpected happened: Larry Brown begged Jordan to take a point guard, D.J. Augustin. Jordan agreed and after a mini-discussion, the Nets went with Brook over Robin. The Nets had never had Brook in. He had declined, thinking he wouldn't fall that low. Sometimes things work out.
"That’s why you do your homework and do your work," Billy King said Thursday, conceding that could happen this year too. "Our scouts have been out. You don’t just rely on (workouts) as your basis for drafting. "By now, you’ve seen the players in person, watched video, received reports from your scouts."
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Getting Inside - New Jersey Nets - Sports Xchange