With only a 3.25 percent chance of moving into the top three, at least they didn't drop.

"We think there will be a player there that will be a good player, so we're looking forward to continuing our preparation and getting a good player," Nets president Rod Thorn said.

"We're pretty far along. We still have a month to go. We still have a lot of work to do. If the draft were held next week, we've done enough due diligence so far that we could hopefully make a good pick."

Thorn said the Nets aren't focusing on one position in a draft that is heavy in point guards, wing players and power forwards. The Nets , who finished 34-48 this season, have a need for all three.

They would like a third point guard for insurance purposes. Devin Harris missed 13 games last season and Keyon Dooling is coming off hip surgery.

The Nets also received very inconsistent play at the small and power forward positions, and have questions about whether Yi Jianlian will reach his potential.

Among the players who could be available are Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn, point guard Ty Lawson of North Carolina, Wake Forest forward James Johnson, Louisville swingman Terence Williams, undersized Pittsburgh power forward DeJuan Blair and Wake Forest point guard Jeff Teague.

The talent pool isn't nearly as deep as last year and no one knows for sure how it will play out after Oklahoma power forward Blake Griffin goes No. 1 to the Clippers ? if they keep the pick.

Thorn, among others, says you can get as good a player lower in the lottery than you can at No. 4 or No. 5.

"There's a tremendous diversity of opinion about [whom] to take, who people think are the better players once you get four, five, in that range," Thorn said. "I think you can definitely get the same type of player at 11 that you can get there."