Crystal Ballin' takes a team-by-team look at what should, could, and probably will happen in the June 28th NBA Draft.Needs: A starting shooting guard or backup small forward.
Best Case Scenario: The Jazz have the 25th overall pick, so it'll be tough for a true impact player to fall all the way into their lap -- certainly if they're looking for a starter to challenge Ronnie Brewer for the starting shooting guard spot next year. But there should still be plenty of talented swingmen that can add depth, and perhaps even start at small forward down the road if/when the team ever find a taker for Andrei Kirilenko. Of the players who just might still be available, Derrick Byars would be a very solid pickup.
More Likely Scenario: Morris Almond wouldn't be a bad selection here. The guy can score from all over the court, plus he has respectable size (6-6) for the shooting guard position, something that was missing when the Jazz went with an all-point-guard backup of Deron Williams (6-3) and Derek Fisher (6-1) last year.
Please Don't Take: Rudy Fernandez. While talented (and predicted to be drafted right around No. 25), he's likely at least a year or two away from making the jump from Europe to the NBA simply because of buyout issues with his current contract in Europe. Sure, it's a move that could pay off in due time, but given the depth of this draft, the Jazz are likely better off picking up someone who can immediately step in and contribute.
Second-Round Possibilities: Utah's next pick is near the bottom of the second-round, 55th overall. Picking that low, the Jazz would be better off rolling the dice on a project they can stash in Europe for a year or two, because otherwise the player probably won't be able to crack the roster.
