It can help more than hurt – but it definitely can hurt, make no mistake.
Though the NCAA Tournament means office pools to the vast majority of people (“I’m picking Wake Forest because we should all go green”), to the Nets’ brass and scouts, it’s a chance to solidify their list and find next season’s Brook Lopez.
And it’s a chance to see who thrives and who wilts with pressure.
“You can only help yourself if you play really well in the NCAA Tournament,” said team president Rod Thorn, who says the Nets, assuming some underclassmen come out, already “have a good feel” for who will be in their projected selection range, probably anywhere from eight to 16.
So led by Director of Player Personnel Gregg Polinsky, who heads the Nets’ scouting staff, the team will dispatch at least a half-dozen bodies to different sites. And televisions may overheat. Don’t want to miss anyone.
“Every year, somebody comes to the front that you might consider a late first [round pick], and they end up being in the lottery or the top half of the draft, because of the way they played in the NCAAs,” Thorn said.
Russell Westbrook and Nate Robinson are two recent examples of guys whose stock rose significantly in the tourney.
But generally, the NBA teams know whom they like beforehand. But liking and getting are different animals. Through West Coast scout Maury Hanks, the Nets identified Lopez as a significant player of interest two years ago.
“Maury Hanks identified him early and followed him real closely and really was very, very strong in his advocation of Brook,” Thorn said.
Even so, the Nets felt “no way” entering draft night. The plan was to trade back and grab Brook’s twin, Robin. No need. So the Nets got elements they coveted.
“You always look for talent first. Quickness, athletic ability, shooting ability, size. Body size is important,” Thorn said. “A lot of guys are thin in college, but you can see that they’re going to be pretty big [with] a weight program. And do they have a feel for the game? A lot of guys are athletic as heck but have no feel for the game. That’s hard to teach.”
That feel also includes reacting to the tourney’s pressure-cooker atmosphere.
The tourney isn’t the end-all. There are the individual workouts, psychological tests and the overall body of work – which used to be four college years but now is more like a weekend, given all the underclassmen who leave.
Thorn said the Nets always tab the best player available when drafting. Logic says the Nets will look at point guards, so maybe Brandon Jennings, the Oak Hill Academy guy playing in Italy, falls to them. Maybe it’s Eric Maynor of VCU or Darren Collison of UCLA. You never know.