Quick hits about the Nets' draft

Having already changed owners and brought in a highly-regarded head coach, the New Jersey Nets had begun their rebuilding process well before last night's NBA Draft. Still, the team's selections of Derrick Favors (3rd overall) and Damion James (24th overall) were significant steps for a franchise desperate to erase the memories of a 12-70 season. Here are three things that struck me about the Nets' Draft haul:

1.) Finally, a power forward
Nenad Krstic has been the Nets' only serviceable power forward since they traded Kenyon Martin in 2004 (no, Yi Jianlian doesn't count,) so there has been a glaring need for a quality 4 for the last six years. But that need became especially urgent as the Nets watched Brook Lopez grow into one of the top centers in the Eastern Conference over his first two seasons. Not surprisingly, new owner Mikhail Prokhorov identified a low-post complement to Lopez as the Nets' No. 1 priority this offseason.

Favors certainly fits the bill. At 6-foot-10, 246 pounds, he has the prototypical power forward frame. For his size, Lopez hasn't rebounded the ball particularly well over his short NBA career, so Favors' apparent abilities on the glass and defensive end make him an ideal complement.

The Nets could have also gone with DeMarcus Cousins, but his supposed weight and attitude issues made Favors was the better fit. Cousins checked in at 289 pounds during his workout with the Nets on Monday, and it's just hard to imagine that body moving quickly enough to guard opposing 4s on the perimeter. Twelve-win teams also can't afford to take the kind of leap of faith drafting Cousins would require. Between the fit and the lack of baggage, Favors was the better choice for the Nets.

2.) Building the right way
By drafting the youngest player in the history of their franchise, the Nets revealed something refreshing about the way they'll approach their rebuilding process. Favors, who will turn just 19 in July, will supposedly need at least a few years to realize his potential, so whichever team drafted him would have to be patient. While Prokhorov is ambitious -- he has stated publicly that he expects the Nets to win an NBA championship in five years -- the Nets' selection of Favors suggests they will nonetheless be methodical and deliberate in resurrecting their franchise.

There was speculation in the days leading up to the draft that Syracuse's Wes Johnson would be the Nets' pick at 3. The 23-year-old Johnson was enticing because he can supposedly help out right away and because he shares an agent with free-agent-to-be Carlos Boozer. Still, Johnson is regarded as a lesser prospect than Favors. Perhaps a starting five of Devin Harris, Terrence Williams, Johnson, Boozer, and Lopez could have competed for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference next season. But the Nets would have surely regretted the short-term gains of a low playoff seed (which are minimal anyway) if Favors blossoms as he is expected to a few years down the road. No 70-loss team should be so short-sighted. The Favors selection indicates the Nets are looking not for a quick fix, but rather for the chance at being a perennial contender.

3.) The plan for free agency
Despite the high talent level, this year's Draft was still overshadowed by the impending start of free agency, in which the crop of available players will be of a caliber unlike any in the league's history. Still, the Draft is significant because it provided a sense of the direction the Nets will take once the madness begins on July 1.

In addition to selecting Favors, the Nets also nabbed a bulky rebounding forward in Damion James via a trade with Atlanta. In the process, they relinquished the rights to Jordan Crawford, whose knack for scoring would have fit in nicely with the Nets, the league's worst offensive team a year ago. Thus, it will be almost imperative that the Nets add a scoring wing via free agency, or else endure another season with Courtney Lee in the starting lineup. Rudy Gay is a restricted free agent, but Memphis might not retain him after drafting Xavier Henry. Joe Johnson is also available, as is a guy named Dwyane Wade. The fact that the Nets have room for only one max free agent (at the moment), that they're coming off a 12-70 season, and that they're stuck in the perceived purgatory that is New Jersey for at least two more seasons makes Gay and Johnson more realistic targets.

While a wing might be one of the priorities, the Nets may very well go get themselves a big man, as well. The addition of Favors certainly lessens the Nets' glaring need for a 4, but since Favors is regarded as bit of a project, it's still highly likely that the Nets will pursue one of the plethora of power forwards available in this year's free agent class, especially if they can trade Yi. Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire might be out equation, but a cheaper, second-tier guy like Boozer or David Lee, both of whom are nightly double-double threats, could be very solid options. With Favors, Lopez, and a free agent on board, the Nets could very well have a -- cue the eye-roll -- Lakers-lite frontcourt rotation next year.