Please log in to your fantasy basketball team account right now, and search the name: Chris Douglas-Roberts of the New Jersey Nets.

Click “Add” and immediately add him to your starting lineup.

This kid is emerging into a star caliber player this year.

CDR is lighting up an NBA arena near you! (Credit: picapp.com)

CDR gets to the line with high frequency and making a superb percentage (91.5). He is shooting near 50% from the field for the year.

He hits the boards ripping around 6 a game. He is also collecting 1 steal per game.

He is averaging 27 points a game over his last 3 games, pushing his season average to 18 per contest. All of this after recovering from the N1H1 virus.

He is becoming the man in New Jersey.  Even with Devin Harris returning, I do not think it will affect him. CDR is dropping game no matter what this season.

Douglas-Roberts plays on a horrible team (0-13), which will result in big minutes for him all season to continue his development.

Pick him up, before someone else in your league burns you by adding him.

Lawerence Frank must be concerned. The Nets are off to a 0-11 start. With injuries to Devin Harris (Groin), Yi Jianlian (MCL), and Chris Douglas-Roberts return after his bout with the N1H1 virus, Frank can justifiably argue that his team at full strength all year.

Even is this is the case, the Nets should have been able to win one game by now, and are approaching the worst start in NBA history.

One would think on a fluke alone the Nets would snag at least one victory by now. They have a wealth of young talent:

• Devin Harris
• Brook Lopez
• Chris-Douglas Roberts
• Terrance Williams
• Courtney Lee

Douglas-Roberts has been a beacon of hope in New Jersey. (Credit: picapp.com)

Chris Douglas-Roberts has been on a tear of late, and has shown star potential since returning from the N1H1 virus. He is a fierce competitor and his all around game has been leading the way while Devin Harris recovers from injury.

These players comprise possibly the best group of young talent other than the Oklahoma City Thunder. With the 2010 free agency sweepstakes next year, and with Russian oligarch Mikhail Prokhorov attempting to take over, the Nets could find themselves reversing this years fortunes as soon as next season with some free agent signings.

But that does not help things for New Jersey this season. Lawrence Frank is a good coach, but after reaching the playoffs his first 4 seasons it looks like this season will mark his 3rd consecutive season his team will not reach the playoffs.

This is not a trend that secures your position as an NBA head coach.

Byron Scott was fired after a less horrible start than Frank has had with the Nets. This is another trend not boding well for Lawrence Frank.

The Nets will pursue their first win of the year on Saturday when they host the less crappy New York Knicks (2-9). When you have two teams from the bottom of the heap battling,the game is usually entertaining at the very least.

New Jersey might be able to exploit New York’s guards and the center position. Al Harrington and David Lee should not be able to contain Brook Lopez.

It will be entertaining to see how this plays out.

5. Shaun Livingston G Oklahoma City Thunder: A career thus far plagued by injuries, most notably the one suffered in February 2007 against the Charlotte Bobcats in which he suffered a debilitating knee injury, dislocating his left kneecap after landing awkwardly following a missed layup, resulting in the left leg snapping laterally. Livingston injured almost every part of his knee, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament, the posterior cruciate ligament, and the lateral meniscus, badly spraining his medial collateral ligament, and dislocating his patella and his tibia-femoral joint. Ouch. During a brief stint late in the season, Livingston averaged 7.8 points on 53% shooting with 3.3 rebounds and 2 assists in 23 minutes per game. Will see time off the Thunder bench to make up a solid three-guard-rotation with rookie James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

Landry is a strong defender of the paint and a rebounding force (Credit: picapp.com)

4. Carl Landry F Houston Rockets: A solid rebounder and finisher in the paint. With Ron Artest gone, and Yao Ming done for the season, Landry will see the floor much more. Averaged 9.3 points and 5 rebounds in only 21:18 minutes a game. If he’s on the floor for 30-35 minutes per game, his numbers should flourish. Landry attacks the rim, shooting a solid 75% from the line. The bottom line is this guy is just flat out tough. How many people do you know who could evade assailants in a foot race after being shot in the leg? That is exactly how tough Landry is.

3. Ryan Anderson PF/C Orlando Magic: He is the one of the reasons Courtney Lee was shipped to New Jersey.  The Orlando Magic love their 3-point shooters, and Anderson will fit right into their system with his ability to launch from deep. Anderson is fierce on the offensive glass, and has been tearing up the NBA Summer League competition. With Rashard Lewis being slated to move back to small forward after Hedo Turkoglu’s departure, Anderson could open up the middle for Dwight Howard by forcing big men out of the paint to defend his shooting. Will improve the Magic’s spacing. Few sets will be run for Anderson to score, but his offensive rebounding will get him many easy buckets.

CDR will have a solid year with Carter gone (Credit: picapp.com)

2. Chris Douglas-Roberts G/F New Jersey Nets: CDR must be one of the happiest player in the NBA now that Vince Carter has departed for Orlando. It is obvious New Jersey is going young, and Douglas-Roberts is a superb talent. He displayed potential late last season, and averaged over 12 points in the games he started. In April he averaged 10.8 points with 2.1 assists and 2.5 rebounds in almost 27 minutes a game. As his minutes increase we expect CDR to settle into his role, and be a solid performer at the NBA level.  At 6’7”, he has the athletic ability to move to the 3 if Courtney Lee is the starter at off guard. CDR was the leading scorer (18.1 points a game) on the Memphis team that went to the NCAA Title game in 2008. Too bad about those free throws. Carries a heavy chip on his shoulder, and look for him to do something about it this year.

"See what happens when I get minutes Nellie?" (Credit: picapp.com)

1. Anthony Randolph F Golden State Warriors: The youngest player in the NBA last season didn’t get consistent minutes until the team was eliminated from playoff contention and decimated by injuries. Don Nelson isn’t the most nurturing of coaches with young players and chances are Randolph would have blossomed sooner under the tutelage of a different coach. Scored 24 points and 16 boards against Tim Duncan and the Spurs in one of the final games of the year. Could one day soon be considered the best player from the 2008 Draft. Lamar Odom had nothing but praise for Randolph after they faced off last season, stating he could be a HOF caliber player.

The 2009 NBA Draft is in the books begging the question: What teams added the piece that will help them out of the lottery and into the playoffs next year? The Bulls, Heat, and Blazers—lottery teams from 2008—made the playoffs, replaced this year by Phoenix, Toronto, and Washington (who traded their pick to Minnesota). Below is Protect the Paint’s grades for what this year’s lottery teams did with their lottery pick and a prediction of their lottery-status for next season.

Blake Griffin should start immediately (Credit: ESPN)

#1     Los Angeles Clippers        Blake Griffin            Grade: A

No surprise here. Look for the Clippers to make some roster moves to insure Griffin a starting spot and get rid of some locker room headaches. NEXT YEAR: they’ll be better, but the Western Conference is stacked, so back to the lottery.

Can Thabeet develop an offensive game? (Credit: ESPN)

#2     Memphis Grizzlies        Hasheem Thabeet        Grade: B

The next Dikembe Mutombo? Thabeet should be an immediate impact player on the defensive end. Luckily for him, Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo will be taking most of the shots. Lookout if he develops an offensive game. He should be in the league for his D alone for years to come. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

James Harden might be the best player of the draft class (Credit: ESPN)

#3    Oklahoma City Thunder    James Harden            Grade: B

The Thunder eliminated their biggest weakness and gave Russell Westbrook a running mate in the backcourt. The combination of Westbrook, Harden, Jeff Green, and Kevin Durant is downright frightening for what the future has in store for the Thunder. Look for this team to dramatically improve their win total (23) from last year. NEXT YEAR: much improved, but back to the lottery.

The Kings surprised everyone by selecting Evans over Rubio (Credit: ESPN)

#4    Sacramento Kings        Tyreke Evans            Grade: D

This was a shocker. It seemed every mock draft, rumor, or news report had Ricky Rubio coming to Sac-town. Evans has flaws in his overall game. He is raw, but there is an abundance of raw, young talent in Sacramento. In three years, one must question where Evans will be in comparison to Rubio. Low grade is for not selecting Rubio. The kid displayed abilities and poise years beyond his age in the Olympics against the redeem team. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Ricky Rubio will likely be dealt or play next season in Europe (Credit: ESPN)

#5    Minnesota Timberwolves    Ricky Rubio            Grade: B
The T-Wolves got their man with Rubio. Flynn (see 6th pick) is an athletic, charismatic type player whom will lift his teammates on and off the court. However, he is one of 5 guards selected by Minnesota. We here at Protect the Paint envision Rubio emerging as a superstar in this league. Look for multiple moves in the near future from Minnesota. A good question is if Rubio even plays in the NBA this year. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Jonny Flynn has the talent to star in Minnesota for years to come (Credit: ESPN)

#6    Minnesota Timberwolves    Johnny Flynn            Grade: B-
Guard #2 of 5 selected by Minnesota. It will be very interesting to see who is dealt and who is kept. With Minnesota’s luck, it is a safe bet the guy dealt experiences greater NBA prosperity. Right now, Rubio has far more trade value. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Stephen Curry: NBA Rookie of the Year? (Credit: ESPN)

#7    Golden State Warriors        Stephen Curry            Grade: A+
The Warriors high-octane offense just acquired a serious scoring threat. Scouting reports knocked his defense and decision-making. Sounds like a perfect fit for the Bay Area. The only disclaimer in Oakland: the brass told Monta Ellis they would not select a PG. If the two can get along, the Warriors could be quite dangerous when going small. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Hill is the Knicks consolation prize after Curry was taken at 7. (Credit: ESPN)

#8    New York Knicks        Jordan Hill            Grade: C+
The Knicks lost out big time by not being able to draft Stephen Curry but are satisfied with Hill. Hill provides immediate relief if David Lee leaves. Pundits believe he will thrive in Mike D’Antoni’s run and gun style of play. Will the Knicks ever be good again? NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Can DeRozen make Chris Bosh reconsider leaving Toronto? (Credit: ESPN)

#9    Toronto Raptors        DeMar DeRozan        Grade: A-
This is possibly the best pick the Raptors could have hoped for. DeRozen is freakishly athletic.  Will be a key piece in forcing Chris Bosh to consider staying, If Bosh leaves, Toronto has a solid component to build around for the future. NEXT YEAR: if they keep Chris Bosh, this should be a playoff team in 2010.

Brandon Jennings appears poised to excel for the Bucks (Credit: ESPN)

#10    Milwaukee Bucks        Brandon Jennings        Grade: B-
It will be interesting to listen, watch, and read about how coach Scott Skiles and his new point guard get along. It could be like dynamite and nitro glycerin. With Richard Jefferson gone, and rumors of Luke Ridnour being on the block, Jennings and Ramon Sessions will form the nucleus of a young Bucks backcourt. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Terrence Williams joins a crowded backcourt in New Jersey (Credit: ESPN)

#11    New Jersey Nets        Terrence Williams        Grade: B
Williams will fit into a young backcourt rotation of Devon Harris, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Courtney Lee now that Vince Carter is headed to Orlando. If he learns to be consistent as a pro he will be fun to watch. It is a safe bet New Jersey might hold a higher pick in next years draft with their youth movement officially set in motion. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

Michael Jordan drafted archrival school Duke's Henderson (Credit: ESPN)

#12    Charlotte Bobcats        Gerald Henderson        Grade: C-
Wow, Michael Jordan drafted a Dukie. At least he didn’t draft fellow UNC alum Tyler Hansbrough (see next pick). Henderson is super-athletic a very good defensive player. Will need to develop more of an offensive game or he could become the next Bruce Bowen (minus the corner three). Weird pick with Earl Clark still on the board. NEXT YEAR: they’ll be a better team, but back to the lottery.

Indiana failed heinously selecting Tyler Hansbrough (Credit: ESPN)

#13    Indiana Pacers            Tyler Hansbrough        Grade: F*
Hansbrough might be a tough guy—a blue-collar worker whom Indiana fans will appreciate—but he appears to be a man without a position in the NBA. Lacks the foot speed and athleticism to succeed at this level. Indiana blew it. This organization already misses Donnie Walsh. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

*F grade due to who was selected at pick #14.

Brandon Jennings stepped in late on behalf the 14th pick Earl Clark (Credit: ESPN)

#14    Phoenix Suns            Earl Clarke            Grade:  A
The Suns are obviously in a rebuilding mode. Earl Clark is a shooting guard in a big man’s body and will give the team versatility. Good ball handler for his size (like a right-handed Lamar Odom). Needs to improve his range. If the rumors about his lack of work ethic prove unfounded, Phoenix could have the steal of the 2009 NBA Draft. NEXT YEAR: back to the lottery.

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