 | Mike Conley's ability to take defenders off the dribble is one big reason why he's the top-rated guard in the draft. Matthew Mitchell/WireImage.com |
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The strength of the 2007 NBA Draft doesn't lie in its guards, although that doesn't mean that some of the backcourt stars expected to be chosen in the first round Thursday night won't be fine NBA players in time.
Like most of the players in this draft, the guards will have to be judged through the prism of possibilities. The best basketball of players like Mike Conley, Javaris Crittenton, Daequan Cook and Petteri Koponen, none of whom has yet celebrated his 21th birthday, won't be on display during the 2007-08 season. It will take countless hours of painstaking instruction and repetition before most of these guys are ready to accept the responsibility that goes with playing big minutes in the NBA.
But there is reason for optimism. While there aren't any certain All-Stars in this group, there are also very few players who could be deemed at high risk of failure. There is an unusual undercurrent of seriousness and commitment among this group that indicates a yield of solid, long-term NBA careerists.
1. Mike Conley Jr., 6-1, 175 pounds, Fr., Ohio State
Watching Conley is to watch a player who never seems to be off balance, who always seems to be gliding into an open area. He has superior quickness off the dribble and peripheral vision and dexterity to find open teammates once he gets into the paint. His slight build and lack of a consistent perimeter shot are not a huge concern, as both his frame and his shooting range can be improved with work. When teams are comparing him to Tony Parker, you know they are sold.
2. Nick Young, 6-6, 205, Jr., USC
Young has the potential to be an explosive player if he improves his ball handling. He is a terrific leaper who can always seem to get off a shot no matter how closely guarded he is. He scores most of his points on medium-range jump shots, making those either in catch-and-shoot situations or by pulling up off the dribble. Young is the type of player capable of being a go-to scorer in a few years, but he will have to build his body so he can accept the punishment he'll take when he explodes to the rim.
3. Acie Law, 6-3, 185, Sr., Texas A&M
Law is the most mature playmaker available in this draft, and perhaps the only one who could realistically play starter's minutes through a long NBA season. Unlike Conley, Law has three-point shooting range and will make defenses pay for backing off of him on the perimeter. Law can score himself if his team is struggling, but he also showed intriguing abilities to create for teammates in situations where plays appeared to be going nowhere.
4. Rodney Stuckey, 6-5, 205, So., Eastern Washington
While Stuckey isn't a household name to casual college basketball fans, NBA scouts watched him closely this season after he ranked eighth in the nation in scoring with 24.2 points per game as a freshman. Stuckey is physically strong and is something of a throwback player who does not depend on the three-point shot to score. Some NBA personnel people believe that Stuckey will eventually be able to play some minutes at point guard, and he did average 4.8 assists for his two-year collegiate career.
