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Brooklyn Nets: 15 best draft picks of all-time (updated through 2018-19)

By Phil Watson

Brooklyn Nets Jarrett Allen (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Brooklyn Nets Jarrett Allen (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Brooklyn Nets, NBA Draft
UNITED STATES – NOVEMBER 28: New Jersey Nets’ Nenad Krstic shoots over Charlotte Bobcats’ Emeka Okafor during first half action at Continental Airlines Arena. The Bobcats defeated the Nets, 96-92. (Photo by James Keivom/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images) /

player. 147. . PF/C. New Jersey Nets (1st round, 24th overall, 2002 NBA Draft). Nenad Krstic. 15

The New Jersey Nets were the surprise team of 2001-02, leaping from 26 wins all the way to their first-ever NBA Finals appearance and took a flyer on a young Serbian big man with the 24th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, selecting 18-year-old Nenad Krstic.

Krstic remained with his Serbian club, Partizan, for another two seasons before signing with the Nets in July 2004.

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    • He quickly became a starter for the Nets in 2004-05, playing at both the 4 and 5 spots, and averaging 10.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as a rookie. That earned him a spot on the All-Rookie second team and opened the door for bigger possibilities.

    He started all 80 games he appeared in the following season, shooting 50.7 percent and putting up 13.5 points and 6.4 boards in 30.9 minutes a game.

    Krstic moved to center full-time in 2006-07 and was off to a terrific start before tearing his left ACL in December and missing the remainder of the season. In 26 games, Krstic averaged 16.4 points and 6.8 boards in 32.6 minutes a game while shooting 52.6 percent.

    He was limited the following season to 45 games as he worked his way back from injury in a part-time role, starting 38 games but averaging just 18 minutes a night. His production suffered, as his shooting fell off to just 41 percent while averaging 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds.

    Krstic couldn’t come to terms with New Jersey as a restricted free agent, heading to Russia to play with Triumph Lyubertsy before eventually signing an offer sheet with the Oklahoma City Thunder in December 2008 that the Nets opted not to match.

    He hung around in the NBA for three more seasons before returning to Europe in 2011. He played three seasons with CSKA Moscow in Russia and another two with Anadolu Efes in Turkey and had signed with Turkish side Galatasaray for the 2016-17 season before the player and team decided to part company in September 2016.

    In four years with the Nets, Krstic averaged 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in 27 minutes per game.

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