Boki Nachbar’s may be headed to Russia, and Marcus Williams is on his way to Golden State, but the Nets seem to be on their own way to putting a competitive team on the court, while simultaneously planning ahead.

Getting a first round pick for Williams, Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe just crossed Chris Mullin over and broke his ankles. After a decent first year with the team, Williams was downright awful last season, earning himself considerable time in coach Laurence Frank’s dog house and finding himself lost in the shuffle. With another first round pick in 2009, the Nets will be able to continue to develop from within, while still having the cap-space necessary to make a big time move in 2010.

Sounds good to me.

However, while the first round pick was a good pickup, the acquisition of Keyon Dooling adds some support for Devin Harris, while giving the Nets bench even more versatility on the bench. With all the draft picks and recent acquisitions, this team is starting to fill out quickly and with the addition of Dooling, looks like it can compete for the last two playoff spots in the East.

“Keyon is a versatile NBA veteran, and we are pleased to add him to our roster,” Nets president Rod Thorn said on Yahoo Sports. “His ability to play both the point and shooting guard positions will add flexibility and depth to our backcourt rotation.”

While I believe Dooling will have a diminished role on the Nets, considering Devin Harris is a lock for big time minutes at point guard and Vince Carter’s tendency to eat minutes at shooting guard, Dooling
will be a competent defensive replacement and scorer off the bench when those guys need a break. Being able to play both guard positions, I feel that Dooling was a pretty good pickup and someone that at the very least, makes the Nets look better on paper.

The Nets feel pretty much the same way, but feel his defensive ability and personality off the court was a perfect fit for their rebuilding team.

“I think it’s more relevant on the defensive end,” Frank said Wednesday to Yahoo Sports. “Keyon is a well-coached player. … I love guys who play with energy, passion and who love to play. He’s a bubbly guy and that’s the way he plays. He’s the same way as a person as he is as a player.”