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SALT LAKE CITY — It all comes to this, over the past four weeks the other positions have been broken down and now the only spot that is left is the point guards, the position of need for the Jazz.
Last year the Jazz were in a similar situation with a need at the point guard spot and chose to go with a veteran instead of building through the draft, of course they didn't have an early pick then. However it could happen that the Jazz might pass on a point guard, but there are so many that fit where the Jazz are drafting that it would be hard to see them not draft one.
Once again this isn't about the best players, but the best fits for the Jazz where they are drafting. Trey Burke, Michael Carter-Williams and C.J. McCollum will almost certainly be gone before the Jazz pick. Which helps because there are a lot of quality point guards who are available, and this is the hardest top-five anyway.
With no further ado here is the top-five point guards.
5. B.J. YoungSoph. Arkansas
Fast, tall and a tweener. He has Young has everything that a team would want in a point guard. He is 6-3 with a 6-7 wingspan. He is lighting quick, especially going in transition. He shot 70 percent in transition. He has a good vertical and is atheltic.
He is also a terrible shooter. Well, he might be, he shot 44 percent his freshman year, then 23 percent his sophomore year from 3-point range. Overall he shot 20 percent worse from his freshman to sophomore year. He is also a little too mistake prone for his position.
He is a pretty good ball-handler, but seems to just force plays whenever he wants to, although he has improved since his first year. He was more interested in scoring than passing, but that might have been who was around him. He also has a big question regarding his character. Doesn't give full effort on defense and has disciplinary problems.
He went from potential top-10 pick to a fringe first to late second-round player. He could go anywhere. Boom or bust has come across his profiles a lot. In the second-round there is very little risk for a point guard of his talent. What could he be? Anything and nothing. He could become Brandon Jennings and JR Smith. He could be so much, but is he worth the risk. Second-round pick is probably worth it.
4. Myck KabongoSoph. Texas
Oh boy how fun Myck Kabongo is to watch. Enjoy some highlights and think about the amount of fun fans could have as they would get to watch him open up. He is a strong character and knows the history of the Jazz, as seen by the first set of workouts. He is enjoyable to watch and had a ton of expectations for his college career in Texas.
He is listed around 6-3, but simply isn't that tall, closer to 6-0, maybe 6-1 on a good day. He missed most of last season due to some NCAA sanctions, but he really isn't a bad kid, at least that is what almost everyone says. He has a slight frame and would need to add weight.
He is a fascinating study because he has all the tools, has good tape and interviews well. He keeps on slipping down draft boards. He had been mocked in the mid- to late-first and now is looking like a second-round pick.
He isn't a great scorer, but does score. Isn't a great shooter, but can shoot and isn't a great defender, but works hard at it. Who is he? Is he highlight Kabongo, or suspension and slightly erratic Kabongo. Is the situation at Texas toxic or is he just a player that won't ever fulfill his potential and everyone searches for reasons why.
He could be an absolute steal in the second-round, if he really pans out he could be a steal with the Jazz's second pick.
3. Lorenzo BrownJr. N.C. State
He is a 6-5 pass-first point guard who wants to get his teammates involved and can make plays. He is tall and can see the court. He is ready to play right away and has a relationship with Sidney Lowe, who recruited him in college.
He is not a shooter. There is no other way to put that right now. He is not a shooter. He has to get to the rim and then hit runners or floaters instead of pull-up jumpers. He is just an adequate athlete. Could be great if he developed a shot, but if he could why wouldn't he have one by now?
The Wolfpack team underachieved as a whole and it might have something to with Brown's play. He still averaged 12 points and 7 assists his junior year.
He still has lots of upside, if from nothing more than his size. He doesn't need superb athleticism is he can learn tricks to play with his frame. If he can learn to shoot then his passing will become deadly. Just like the other players in this range he could become a steal, but might struggle to get off the bench his first few years.
2. Shane LarkinSoph. Miami
What a difference two to four inches make. He could very well be the top point guard, if not overall pick if he was 6-2. He's not though. He is 5-10. He is also a winner. In Miami a place that rarely does anything he pushed them to the top of the ACC.
He doesn't have long arms, might struggle to play defense and might not be able to get to the rim as well in the pros. But he still has a lot of tools. He loves playing out of the pick and roll and can shoot if players slack off him.
He passes very well and gets his teammates involved. He works hard on defense even if he doesn't have the size to play it well. He is a great leader though, said he did it mostly through action, but could become vocal leader. Very charismatic young man who would have no problem with success.
His dad's career taught him how to behave as a man. Said he would love to talk to anyone, understands what he does is about entertainment and will take time with fans. He has a 44-inch vertical so he can make plays, but at the end of the day he is 5-10.
1. Dennis Schroeder19 y.o. Germany
This was by far the toughest spot to choose. It is more like 1 and 1a. Schroeder's upside is immense. He is a 6-2 guard with huge hands and a 6-8 wingspan. He can do a little bit of everything on the court. He is fast and quick.
Attacks the basket fiercely and can both score and dish from the penetration. He is an elite ball-handler. He can defend almost anyone and is a team leader.
He does need to add some strength, he is only 165 lbs so he could be a bit prone and might be muscled down by bigger point guards. He is more upside than actual game right now, but if all his upside is realized he could end up being the top point guard in this draft. He needs to get smarter as a player.
He wasn't really on the map until the Nike Hoops Summit. Is that the flash in the pan or is it his regular playing. He will need to attack to be successful and he is great at that. However it might limit how well he gets others involved. There isn't much talk about him being a leader, he might not have to be, but that is a pretty big need at the point guard.
He will drive other teams nuts with how fast he is. In the modern NBA he is what people are going to expect. Lighting-fast players who force others to make up new defensive schemes. He is missing a lot of tape, but what he has is electric.
No Pierre Jackson, no Isaiah Canaan or Nate Wolters. Could McCollum or Carter-Williams slip? Is Larkin better than Schroeder?
