You can score and defend down low with power forwards, but finding a true point guard to run your offense and get his teammates not only open shots but also easy shots is almost impossible. There are a handful of prospects this year who might be able to handle that toughest of assignments.

Here is a look at point guards available in Thursday's NBA draft. These rankings are based on conversations with pro and college coaches, NBA general managers, scouts and player personnel directors. Players are included at the position they are expected to play most — at least initially — in the NBA, not the position they played in college or abroad:

1. Mike Conley Jr.

6-foot-1, freshman

Ohio State

The consensus top prospect has the ability to get from Point A to Point B or into the paint better than anyone else. One Southwest Division player personnel executive called Conley "low-level Tony Parker-ish, based on his drive and speed." And, at 19, Conley has significant upside. The downside is that he needs to work on his shooting. A Southeast Division scout said Conley went 0 for 15 in a recent shooting drill. "He needs time and space to shoot," the Southwest executive said. "Literally, he has to have his feet down. He doesn't feel comfortable when pressured." That means defenses will back off until he proves he can consistently make the mid-range jumper.

Projected pick: fourth through eighth.

2. Acie Law IV

6-3, senior

Texas A&M

Teams love his leadership, poise, willingness to take and make big shots, and speed. Law also gets props for maturing during his last couple of years in school. Former Aggies coach Billy Gillispie "did a good job with that kid," a Southwest Division executive said. "He doesn't look like he could be in control, going as fast as he does, but he is." Some teams have Javaris Crittenton rated higher, but a Pacific Division scout noted that Law decisively outplayed Crittenton in a recent workout for the Clippers.

Projected pick: 10th through 14th.

3. Javaris Crittenton

6-5, freshman

Georgia Tech

He is moving up on many draft boards because of his size and age. Like Conley, he is not the most consistent shooter, but Crittenton has impressed some teams in workouts. "He can guard the bigger guards. He's tough," a Southeast Division general manager said approvingly. But some teams said he still has a way to go to learn the position, and others said he gambles too much defensively. Those who don't like Crittenton "really don't like him. "That boy is so selfish," a Southeast Division scout said. "He's got some natural ability, but he really doesn't know how to play. He gives that ball a headache."

Projected pick: 12th through 18th.

4. Gabe Pruitt

6-4, junior

Southern Cal

He played both guard positions for the Trojans. He may be the best defensive prospect of the top guards. A Central Division player personnel man compared Pruitt to Darrell Armstrong and Gary Payton. (Personnel guys can gush on occasion.) "I think Pruitt is more ready to play than Crittenton is," a Northwest Division player personnel man said. "But Crittenton might be better in the long run." There are concerns about Pruitt academically.

Projected pick: 20th through the second round.

5. Petteri Koponen

6-4

Honka (Finland)

This international guard was not widely regarded until he gave an eye-opening performance at the Nike Hoops Summit in Memphis in April, and the 19-year-old has continued to impress in workouts. "He was the only guy in the Hoops summit that looked (ticked) off that they weren't working hard," a Pacific Division personnel man said. "The line I heard in Memphis was, `I did not fly all this way to lose.' "

Projected pick: 22d through second round.

Best of the rest

Jared Jordan (Marist), Ramon Sessions (Nevada), Taurean Green (Florida), J.R. Reynolds (Virginia), Mustafa Shakur (Arizona), Jamaal Tatum (Southern Illinois), Sun Jue (Aoshen Olympian), D.J. Strawberry (Maryland).

The sleeper

Theodoros Papaloukas, CSKA Moscow. The 30-year-old Greek is generally considered the best point guard in Europe — moving ahead of Spain's Juan Carlos Navarro — after winning the Euroleague MVP for the 2006-07 regular season and taking his team to the Euroleague final this spring. A number of teams are interested in signing him. But a hefty buyout — NBA teams may have to use their full midlevel exception to get him out of his CSKA contract — could be problematic.

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