Inside the NBA draft: Floor generals

CREAM OF THE CROP

Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Raymond Felton — last year's NBA Draft was stacked with primo point guards, including those three chosen with top-five picks. Not so this time around. UConn's Marcus Williams and Kentucky's Rajon Rondo are possible lottery picks, but neither is a likely top-five. Some teams are high on Villanova's Kyle Lowry, too. The NBA's scouts rate Villanova's Randy Foye as their top American-college point, but many teams project him as a combo or even shooting guard rather than a pure point. Spain's Sergio Rodriguez — he played the past two seasons for Adecco Estudiantes Madrid — is the top-rated international point, and the only one of real note. UCLA's Jordan Farmar should go in the first round and Texas' Daniel Gibson could go late in the first, but a couple other well-known college names — Syracuse's Gerry McNamara and Duke's Sean Dockery — are probably second-rounders at best.

JAZZ TIME

After drafting Deron Williams at No. 3 overall last year, the Jazz have no need to take a point with their No. 14 selection in Wednesday's draft. Rather, they're looking for a long, athletic center or a solid shooting guard. It's believed they like Lowry more than both Rondo and Marcus Williams, but that point may be moot in terms of first-round implications relative to Utah. The Jazz do, however, have two second-round selections, Nos. 46 and 47 overall. Dockery has worked out for Jazz brass, and could be under consideration there. Ditto for tiny Keydren Clark, who twice led the nation in scoring. At 5-foot-10, though, the St. Peter's product might not get drafted at all.

UTAH NOW

After enduring coach Jerry Sloan's rookies-must-pay-their-dues way of thinking, Illinois product Williams starred at the end of the season — and showed why the Jazz gave Portland three first-round picks to move up from No. 6 to No. 3 and get him. If all goes as planned, he'll be Utah's starting point for the next decade or so — and perhaps soon an All-Star, too. The question is who backs him up next season. Do the Jazz pick up the option on Keith McLeod's contract, a decision that must be made by Friday? Do they re-sign Milt Palacio, who underwent offseason microfracture knee surgery but says he'll be good to go? Do they find a backup in the free-agency market? Do they land one in the draft? Or must they trade for one? We'll know more in July.

FANTASY PICK

The Jazz put together a trade package that allows them to jump to No. 3 in the draft, and they claim the point guard they hope and trust will lead them for years to come. Oh, wait. That was last year — and it was reality, not mere fantasy.