Jun 27, 2008

NBA calls Stanford brothers 10th, 15th

By Darren Sabedra / Bay Area News Group

Stanford's Brook Lopez had to wait a little longer than most expected Thursday.

"I was sweating bullets,'' the 7-foot center said.

But his twin brother Robin summed up what a lot of people were thinking when the New Jersey Nets selected Brook with the 10th pick in the NBA draft.

"They really picked up a steal at No. 10,'' Robin told ESPN.

Five picks later, the Phoenix Suns brought even more smiles among the Lopez contingent at New York's Madison Square Garden when they selected Robin Lopez, Stanford's other 7-foot center.

The Lopezes became the second Stanford pair to be taken in the first round, joining Curtis Borchardt (18th to Orlando) and Casey Jacobsen (22nd to Phoenix) in 2002.

The last time the Suns picked 15th in the draft, they took Santa Clara's Steve Nash, a two-time NBA MVP.

"We're ecstatic,'' Deborah Ledford, the twins' mother, said from New York, "because both boys are in outstanding positions.''

Brook Lopez, projected to go as high as third in some mock drafts, hugged Robin before making his way onto the stage to shake hands with NBA Commissioner David Stern. He said that moment with the commish lived up to his expectations.

"Everything and more,'' Brook Lopez said.

An hour or so later, the Nets made Lopez even happier when they selected Cal's 6-10 forward Ryan Anderson, who led the Pac-10 Conference in scoring last season at 21.1 points per game.

"I thought he was the best player to come out of the Pac-10 this year,'' Brook Lopez said.

It had been a whirlwind hour for Brook Lopez, a third-team All-American who averaged 19.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last season. In a wired-for-sound segment on ESPN, he could be heard saying, "I'm going to be like Brady Quinn,'' referring to the Cleveland Browns quarterback who plummeted in the 2007 NFL draft.

"I worked out for a couple of teams, I did what I could, I put my best foot forward,'' Brook Lopez told ESPN. "I knew it wasn't up to me, anymore. I did what I could. I was just sitting here waiting to get picked.''

The Nets clearly are rebuilding. Earlier Thursday, they traded Richard Jefferson, their No. 2 career scorer, to Milwaukee for forwards Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons.

"We needed to make some changes,'' Nets General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe told ESPN. "I think we got some good young players in Brook Lopez and Ryan Anderson.''

Robin Lopez, meanwhile, joins a Suns team that includes future Hall of Famers Nash and Shaquille O'Neal. Known more for his defensive skills, Robin Lopez averaged 10.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last season.

"I'm going to play defense,'' Robin Lopez told ESPN minutes after getting picked. "I'm going to be an interior force. I'm going to rebound, try to block shots, and I think most importantly I'm going to bring intensity.''

Brook Lopez said he hopes his brother enjoys learning from O'Neal. Asked if Robin can rap like Shaq, Brook Lopez said, "Not as well as (Shaq) did the other night.''