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The New Jersey Nets got yet another steal tonight, this time with the 40th overall pick in the 2008 Draft.  They selected Memphis guard Chris Douglas-Roberts from Memphis.  CDR was part of 104 wins at 3 year on a great Memphis team.  While being interviewed at the draft, current Memphis coach and former Nets coach John Calipari said, “If we drafted like that while I was with the Nets, I’d still be coaching there.”  CDR isn’t a complete player, but one thing is that he can flat out score.  He should get plenty of opportunities on the Nets, who officially went into re-building mode earlier today when they traded Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee.  (Now the Vince Carter watch begins.  I’m sure he’s itching to get out of New Jersey and on to a contending team.)  The Nets scored big again, and Chris Douglas-Roberts could eventually become a productive scorer in the Meadowlands.  Here is the ESPN scouting report on CDR:

Positives: Smooth swingman who excels at getting to the basket. Good quickness. Good at breaking down defenders off the dribbler. Good finisher around the basket. Good midrange game. Good ball handler. Excellent basketball IQ. Wiry strong. Good defender who really can harass an opponent.

Negatives: Needs to improve his long-range jump shot. He shot the ball consistently from 3-point range this year, but he didn’t take a lot of them. Could add some bulk to his frame. For someone with such good ball skills, he rarely gives up the rock. A good athlete, but not a great one.

Summary: Douglas-Roberts is one of the more underrated players in the country. He really benefited from having Derrick Rose in the lineup with hm this year. It took some pressure off him as a go-to scorer and gave him a point guard who can set him up for easy shots. For someone so productive, scouts have been a little mixed on him. He’s a likely mid-to-late first-round pick

The Nets also had a second first-round selection, #21, which they used on Cal power forward Ryan Anderson.  I’ll be honest, I’m very unfamiliar with Anderson, so I’ll just give ESPN’s scouting report on him:

Chad Ford’s Analysis: We knew the Nets were high on two guys — Hickson and Anderson. Anderson is a face-the-basket 4 who can shoot the ball — kind of like Yi Jianlian. He’s talented, but I think I would have grabbed DeAndre Jordan here.

Draft Projection: Late first to early second

Notes: Anderson has declared for the 2008 NBA draft, but hasn’t hired an agent, preserving his college eligibility.

Positives: Excellent offensive player who can get it done both inside and out. Especially lethal from the perimeter. Shooting better than 40 percent from 3-point territory. Good rebounder. Nice touch on the inside. Excellent passer. Good basketball IQ. Has long arms which makes him play bigger than he is.

Negatives: Not a great athlete. He’s not a stiff by any means, but he doesn’t have that freakish athleticism that NBA scouts look for in big men. He’s going to need to add strength to play inside at the next level. So-so defender lacks the lateral agility to guard quicker players, and can get bruised by bigger opponents inside.

Summary: Anderson wasn’t highly touted coming out of high school and took many scouts by surprise with his stellar play his freshman season As a sophomore, he’s proven that he’s going to be a consistent go-to guy for Cal. Right now he’s firmly on the first-round bubble.