2007 NBA Draft Preview: Ranking the Top Point Guards

The point guard position has fallen off in recent years, but with the success of Steve Nash in Phoenix, passing has become an art again and the league should see an influx of better point guard play in the coming years if the young players of today follow Nash's lead.

This year's class is strong at the top with three potential stars, but things get a little dicey from that point on.

Here are the top point guards coming into the league from the 2007 NBA Draft:

1. Mike Conley Jr., Ohio State-

Greg Oden got all the hype and praise for the Buckeyes during their title game run, but Conley may have been just as important.

He has elite quickness, good ball-handling ability, good passing ability, and his excellent body control allows him to finish around the basket with ease. I would compare him to Tony Parker with a little bit of T.J. Ford thrown in.

Conley's jump shot needs some improvement and he's not a great scorer right now, but he has shown the ability to knock down three-pointers when he gets his feet set and a good luck at the basket. He should be an NBA starter for years to come.

2. Acie Law IV, Texas A&M-

His clutch play and ability to hit game-winning daggers for the Aggies has led to many comparing him the Chauncey Billups. Law doesn't have Billups' strength, but he is very quick and has a great cross-over dribble to get into the lane with ease.

Law's athleticism is better than people seem to give him credit for and he can get his shot off at multiple angles over defenders, which allows him to hit many tough shots with the game on the line.

He averaged 5 assists last year but has some learning to do before he becomes a true point guard. But he could be a great addition to any team as an explosive combo guard for the time being.

3. Javaris Crittenton, Georgia Tech-

Another freshman who came out early, Crittenton has an extremely high ceiling because of his great size (6'5) and athleticism for the position.

He has a tendency to get out of control at times and force the action, as evidenced by his 3.9 turnovers per game last year for the Yellow Jackets, but he also showed the ability to take over games and pump up the crowd with his amazing dunks. He could be a future star if he continues to work hard, which he was known for doing at Georgia Tech.

4. Aaron Brooks, Oregon-

This is where the talent at this position drops off considerably. Brooks is a high-octane scorer from the up-tempo Ducks' offense, averaging 17.7 points last year, but is a little small for the position, particularly in weight at only about 165 pounds. He could be a Chucky Atkins-type of playing as a streaky but at times very effective scorer off the bench and a good change-of-pace guy to come in and speed up the game.

5. Gabe Pruitt, USC-

Has very good size and speed and takes care of the ball pretty well, but his basketball skills haven't quite caught up to his athleticism at this point. He could also be a change-of-pace player off the bench but is more of a distributor than a scorer.

Still, with the right coaching, he could end up as a starter at some point down the road. Definitely a developmental type of prospect at this point.

Best of the Rest:

Bobby Brown, Cal-State Fullerton, Ramon Sessions, Nevada, Jared Jordan, Marist, Dominic James, Marquette