Inside the NBA Draft: Shooting guards

SHOOTERS (Shooting guards)

CREAM OF THE CROP

Ohio State shooting guard Evan Turner may go No. 2 to Philadelphia, prompting questions about whether the 76ers will have room for both him and pricey Andre Iguodala. They'll probably try to make it work before doing anything rash. Turner's 3-point range shooting percentage dipped from 44 as a sophomore to 36.4 as a junior, but his overall percentage from the field jumped from 50.3 to 51.9. Small forward Wesley Johnson, an athletic swingman with better long-distance range than Turner, should also go top-five. He started his college career at Iowa State and finished it at Syracuse. Johnson hit 41.5 percent from behind the 3-point line last season.

UTAH NOW

Undrafted rookie Wesley Matthews started at shooting guard last season. Popular Kyle Korver, who may exit as an unrestricted free agent, backed him up. So perhaps there are minutes to be had there. If the Jazz draft a shooting guard/swingman at No. 9 overall Thursday, figure it's likely that Korver — who shot an NBA-record 47.8 percent from 3-point range last season — will leave. In any event, Utah needs a legitimate long-distance threat — preferably one who can hold his own defensively. Usual starting small forward Andrei Kirilenko battled calf strains late last season. His team-high $17.81 million contract comes off the books next offseason. The game of sometimes-starter, sometimes-not C.J. Miles continues to grow, but he still has a ways to go in terms of consistency. The Jazz have a not-fully-guaranteed option on NBA Development League call-up Othyus Jeffers' contract for next season, but Jeffers — a 'tweener who really isn't a great shooter — must win a roster spot with strong efforts at summer-league play in Orlando next month and perhaps fall camp as well.

JAZZ TIME

If they don't take a big at nine, the Jazz probably will plug one from a crop of lottery-quality swingmen — Wake Forest small forward Al-Farouq Aminu, Nevada small forward Luke Babbitt, Kansas shooting guard Xavier Henry or Butler swingman Gordon Hayward. Babbitt may be the preference, especially if Aminu is off the board. Fresno State swingman Paul George, Texas combo guard Avery Bradley, Texas small forward Damion James, and South Florida shooting guard Dominique Jones are possibilities, too, if Utah acquires a second first-round pick.

LOCAL TIES

Alabama-Birmingham shooting guard Elijah Millsap, younger brother of Jazz power forward Paul Millsap, could go in the second round. His workout stops have included Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, Oklahoma City, Charlotte, New Jersey, Utah and Indiana.

FANTASY PICK

And with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz select ... Cristiano Ronaldo, midfielder from Portugal and Real Madrid of the Spanish League. Best shot in soccer (err, football). Why can't it translate to the hardwood? World Cup fever. Catch it.

—Tim Buckley