<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">It might be the most crucial position on the floor, yet for young players, it sometimes proves the toughest position to acclimate to. This is why point guards will be among the most scrutinized players in the NBA draft Thursday. When spending a first-round pick on a player at that position, there are many variables to consider: Can the player guard today's sizable point guards? Can he run a sophisticated NBA offense despite inexperience? Is point guard even his natural position? Some or all of those questions apply to each of the premier point guards available in this draft. UNDERAGE LEADER? High school phenom Shaun Livingston could be a top five pick, an intriguing player at just under 6-7, but there is much to consider before a team hands him the keys to its offense. "It's a major risk when you're dealing with young point guards," Indiana Pacers director of player personnel Mel Daniels said. "What you're doing is asking this young man to be an extension of the coach on the floor. But that's the nature of this thing: potential. You either pick right or you pick wrong." It's hard to envision much being wrong with a point guard of Livingston's size, though. He lacks bulk, weighing 186 pounds at the Chicago predraft camp earlier this month, but that will probably come once his NBA team gets him on an exercise regimen and his body begins to fill in with age (he's still 18).</div> <div align="center">Full Story</div>
