Derrick Favors, at the NBA’s annual pre-draft gathering in midtown yesterday, said if the Nets are leaning toward drafting him, they have not tipped their hand.
“I couldn’t tell. They kept a straight face,” said the raw, 6-foot-10 power forward from Georgia Tech whose defense and rebounding prowess exceed his offensive ability.
“It would be a good experience,” Favors said of playing for the Nets, who own the third pick. “I’d get to play with Brook Lopez, one of the good young big men in the NBA and I’d get to learn from coach Avery Johnson.”
Favors, 18, worked out for the Nets Monday, the same day as DeMarcus Cousins, who impressed with his skills but showed the Nets he is a center, not the power forward they need. Because Cousins, in the mix with long-shot power forward Greg Monroe of Georgetown, played well, some assumed Favors played poorly.
“That is not true at all,” Nets president Rod Thorn said. “Favors is a terrific young player. His workout went very well.”
Syracuse small forward Wesley Johnson made a recent huge push on the mock draft boards. Thorn admitted he and his staff were looking at all scenarios, assessing the possibility of landing a stud free-agent power forward. That would lend support to drafting Wesley Johnson. As does coach Avery Johnson wanting someone to help immediately.
“That is the decision, now or later,” Thorn said.
In free agency, everyone is in play. The Nets will make their push for LeBron James and it’s not just a “call anyway” move. With Mikhail Prokhorov’s money and aims, they think that have a shot and likely also will make a run at Chris Bosh.
So Wesley Johnson is a viable choice for his all-around, small-forward package. And he is aware of the Nets rumors.
“I heard it,” Johnson said. “It would be great because the Nets are close to Syracuse. They have a great big man [Lopez], they have some good wing players. I think if it’s not them, it’s Minnesota. Or Minnesota or them.”
One wing out of the Nets is Chris Douglas-Roberts, who will be dealt to Milwaukee by the end of the week for a 2012 second-round draft pick. The Nets were not going to pick up his $854,839 final rookie contract year option, and this way they get something for him.
The Nets also pick at 27 (from Dallas) and 31. Plotting that deep is difficult but if they go for a guard, look to 6-4 shooting guard Dominique Jones of South Florida, 6-4 shooting guard Jordan Crawford of Xavier or 6-5 point guard Terrico White of Mississippi.
For size, they like 6-10 power forward Craig Brackins of Iowa State, 6-9 power forward Larry Sanders of VCU, 6-8 power forward Tiny Gallon of Oklahoma and 6-8 power forward Gani Lawal of Georgia Tech.
For a wing, they also like 6-6 small forward Quincy Pondexter of Washington.
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The trade of Douglas-Roberts will leave the Nets with potentially just six players who finished their season: Brook Lopez, Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Yi Jianlian, Terrence Williams and Kris Humphries if he exercises his $3.2 million player option as expected.
— with Lenn Robbins