Utah Jazz in a jam when it comes to drafting Jimmer Fredette

Player-turned-analyst Charles Barkley said a lack of size hurts Fredette who, at 6-foot-2, can't match up with most shooting guards.

"The big question is (whether) they are going to try to make him into a point or bring him out to add some instant offense," said Barkley, a Fredette fan.

Ryan Blake, who helps scout players for NBA teams, also is a fan. He said playing with a bull's-eye on his back for so long and in so many important games helped Fredette, as did his workouts.

"This game is 75 percent mental and he knows how to do it," Blake said. "Look at (Jason) Kidd and (Steve) Nash. Their IQs are off the charts and their fundamentals with the ball are so good they have the ability to continue to play into their years. They never had great speed, jumping ability or explosiveness, but they do it by playing basketball and not trying to go over or through people."

Still, Fredette is expected to go as high as No. 7 or as low as No. 20.

The Jazz aren't about to tip their hand but gave Fredette credit for his accomplishments.

"He showed us the ability we always have seen in him — to knock down shots," Perrin said. "He's a good passer and I think he showed us an ability to initially play defense. ... We've just got to see if he can sustain that in a 24-second time frame and how he can be incorporated into our defense with our teammates if we pick him."

And what about the skeptics who say Fredette won't be a starter?

"I don't know how many guys in the draft are starters right now," Perrin said. "Can they eventually be? It depends how hard they work, the team makeup and how they get along. ... Yes, he's not a starter right now, but can he start in two years or four-five years down the road? That's the unknown."

Kerr laughed thinking that there actually would be less pressure on New York native Fredette were he selected by the Knicks at No. 17 and ended up playing in the big fishbowl that is New York City.

"One thing I like about him is he's fearless," said Kerr, who compares Fredette to Mark Price and, to some extent, Nash. "He's got a lot of Steve Nash qualities in him as a human being. He seems like the kind of guy who will do whatever it takes to succeed."