2007 Point Guard Draft Ranking

Well, with the 20th pick tonight, the Miami Heat are faced with upgrading their team's talent pool in an effort to win now and get back to the Finals. Pat Riley, never one to depend on youthful talents, is faced not only with this challenge but also with overcoming his own stigma in order to help guide this team back to its promise.

Since it remains to be seen how this draft will shake out, and whether or not the Heat will even draft depending on need or on best available talent, let's look at what we do know - that Miami needs to at least consider as first priority drafting a point guard.

Let's run through the list here and see what we got.

1. Mike Conley, JR - he's arguably the top point guard prospect due to his leadership skills on the runner up OSU team. He's quick, he smart, and he has terrific handles. The question is, how much easier was the game for him since he was playing with Greg Oden? Definetly looking to be the first PG taken in the draft and a safe pick.

2. Javaris Crittenton - the young freshman has big upside, but is very raw and needs seasoning. He has the ability to play defense in the NBA right now, and his length and size make him an ideal NBA PG prospect. Very athletic, but needs more consistency on his shot.

3. Rodney Stuckey - probably the most hyped PG you have never heard about. Coming out of a small college, Eastern Washington, Stuckey dazzled his school's fans and their opponents with his back to back Big Sky MVP seasons. 6'5" combo guard that can score and defend. In terms of ceiling, this guy might have the most of any PG prospect in this draft, but it is unknown how good he will be with raised competition.

4. Acie Law, IV - a senior out of Texas A&M that lead his team with his big shots and heart. Has all the tools to be a successful PG in the NBA, but his lack of explosiveness is a concern. 6'3", which makes him an average size PG but can he be a successful defender on quicker, bigger NBA guards?

5. Gabe Pruitt - another combo guard, the 6'4" Pruitt was a big part of USC's successful 2007 campaign. He can score, he is athletic and can take his man off the dribble at any moment. He has the ability to play very good defense, but his skills are a PG are largely untested and unproven. He can get too cute at times, and also try to do too much and can turn the ball over. With some refinement, he could be a successful NBA scorer and "tweener". Should be available for the Heat at #20.

6. Petteri Koponen - another combo guard that is drawing rave reviews from scouts, the 19 year old Finnish wonder is 6'5" and has excellent upside as a playmaker and ball handler. The only question really remains is if he can play for an NBA team this season - is he ready and can he get over here? He struggles on 1-1 defense and seems to have difficulties with more physical players - needs to bulk up some and get stronger. Very young, very good upside.

7. Zabian Dowdell - Virginia Tech's 6'3" PG with a 6'9" reach. Defense, defense, defense. He has a solid outside shot, but is not a scorer. He has excellent ball handling ability and can run an offense pretty efficiently. Dowdell's hallmark, however, is his defense - he can flat out shut anyone down with his athletic ability and massive wingspan. Excellent fit for a team with a proven system that doesn't require their PG to score as much, but needs defense. Would be a pretty good pickup for the Heat in the 2nd round, but may not even need to be drafted as teams seem to be overlooking him.

8. Aaron Brooks - undersized at 5'11", he can shoot and score but his playmaking skills are inconsistent. Can get too careless and lacks good court vision - can get tunnel vision. Has great athleticism and can crossover with the best of them, can create opportunities and break down defenses, but seems to need seasoning in working within a team concept.

9. Taurean Green - listed generously at 6'0" but was a key component to Florida's back to back championships. Another system guy, Green has a pretty good outside stroke and has shown a knack for clutch play, hitting big shots when Florida needed it. His handles are just not good enough, can be somewhat clumsy and tentative with his dribble, so he could have problems at the next level really seperating himself from his defender. Can run a solid offense and be an efficient participant in a system, but limited ceiling. Solid 2nd round pick.

There is still Bobby Brown (Fullerton) and Ramon Sessions (Nevada). Both are looking to be 2nd rounders, but it doesn't seem at this point that neither will contribute too much although Sessions has some upside and is optimistically compared to Jarrett Jack. So, who knows?

Right now, it seems the Heat will have a shot at Pruitt on down. If Law wiggles on down to the Heat it most likely will be due to teams above overvaluing another position or certain traits like raw athleticism and talent - this is why I have Crittenton listed at #2 on the PG draft board. His talents make him too intriguing to pass up even though a guy like Law could step in right away and contribute. If Stuckey and Law make it down to Miami at the 20th pick, they should take a chance on Stuckey but that is unlikely as the Pistons have been noted as the favorites to pick Stuckey at 15.