This season's point guards make up the best group we've seen in years, and NBA teams can't wait.
Three potential All-Stars top the rankings.
Let's take a look: Who are the best point guards in the 2017 NBA draft class?
With the college basketball season just a couple of weeks away, we're starting our rundown of the top NBA draft prospects by position.
Last year ended up being a solid draft for point guards. Two PGs -- Kris Dunn and Jamal Murray -- went in the lottery. Two more -- Wade Baldwin and Dejounte Murray -- went in the first round. And second-rounders such as Tyler Ulis, Demetrius Jackson and Kay Felder look as if they'll have a role in the NBA after falling into the second round.
This year the crop is much stronger. It's perhaps the strongest overall since 2009, when five point guards went in the top 10, including reigning MVP Stephen Curry, and 11 went in the first round. We're projecting five point guards to be taken in the top 10 and potentially 10 in the first round.
It's worth reminding fans that this list isn't a list of the best players for the college season -- these are the best NBA prospects. In many cases, those two categories don't align exactly.
Insider spoke with a number of NBA GMs and scouts in an attempt to aggregate the rankings. Expect them to change as the season gets underway.
Potential NBA All-Stars
1. Markelle Fultz
Washington
Freshman
Top 100: No. 2
2. Dennis Smith
NC State
Freshman
Top 100: No. 4
3. Frank Ntilikina
France
Age: 18
Top 100: No. 6
The potential for having three All-Star point guards in the same draft makes this crop really special.
Fultz has been riding a wave of good reviews from NBA scouts since strong performances at the McDonald's All American Game, the Nike Hoop Summit and the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship. After failing to make varsity as a high school sophomore, he's made major strides, and many NBA folks think he might ultimately leapfrog Kansas forward Josh Jackson as the No. 1 pick.
Fultz has everything you look for in a point guard -- size, athleticism, an ability to score from anywhere on the floor, leadership and poise.
"He's the best point guard prospect to come along in a while," one veteran NBA scout said. "There aren't really any major flaws in his game and he keeps improving every time I see him. He's got a chance to be a star."
Smith missed his senior season after an ACL tear, but he seems to have fully recovered. He's an elite athlete, a blur in the open court and an elite finisher at the rim. If he can show consistent 3-point range and stay healthy, he could easily end up being a top-three pick.
"I thought he was the best point guard in the class before his injury," one scout said. "I won't be surprised if he's in the mix for No. 1. He doesn't have the size and shooting of Fultz, but he's a more dynamic scorer and playmaker."
While Fultz and Smith will get much of the attention domestically, NBA scouts insist that Ntilikina is the same quality prospect. He might see the floor better than anyone else in the draft. His jump shot is his biggest weakness and his lack of exposure in the NCAA might hurt his case for the No. 1 pick, but the talent is there.
"If he were playing at Kentucky or Duke, he'd be in the mix for the No. 1 pick," a scout said. "If you are picking in the top five and need a point guard, I'm not sure you can go wrong with any of these guys."
Potential NBA starters
4. Lonzo Ball
UCLA
Freshman
Top 100: No. 7
5. De'Aaron Fox
Kentucky
Freshman
Top 100: No. 11
The consensus breaks down somewhat after Fultz, Smith and Ntilikina, but Ball and Fox are widely considered the other two potential lottery picks at the position.
Ball is one of the most versatile players in the draft. He averaged a triple-double in high school and is a highlight reel waiting to happen. His dynamic court vision and deep range on his jumper have had some scouts comparing him to Steph Curry. However, Ball isn't anywhere near Curry when it comes to accuracy as a shooter. Some scouts question his ability to transition from a unique high school system to the pros, but most feel he has a chance to be a star at UCLA.
Fox follows a long line of elite Kentucky point guards and draws John Wall as his closest UK PG comp. He's not quite the athlete or playmaker Wall was, though, and his inconsistent jump shot needs work. But in a normal point guard draft he could be a top-five pick.
Potential NBA role players
Edmond Sumner | So. | Xavier | No. 17 overall
Jalen Brunson | So. | Villanova | No. 29 overall
Frank Jackson | Fr. | Duke | No. 34 overall
Devonte Graham | Jr. | Kansas | No. 37 overall
Monte Morris | Sr. | Iowa State | No. 41 overall
Kobi Simmons | Fr. | Arizona | No. 42 overall
This group contains players at least one scout mentioned as potential late first-round picks. Although most of them won't make the leap to NBA starter, they can play valuable roles coming off the bench.
Sumner had a surprisingly good freshman season and followed it up with a major breakout this summer at the Nike Skills Academy. He's got all the physical tools scouts crave in an NBA point guard; he just needs to show better decision-making and shooting accuracy as a sophomore.
Brunson takes the reins of the defending college basketball champs. He's neither an elite athlete nor the most dynamic point guard in the group, but his high basketball IQ and toughness have many NBA scouts fond of him.
Jackson was a top-10 prospect in high school, but teams worry whether he's really a point guard or just an undersized 2-guard. He is a terrific shooter and athlete. I've heard Jerryd Bayless comps from scouts.
Graham used a strong summer to become a contender for the late first round. His ability to play both spots in the backcourt, along with his shooting and poise, have some scouts pegging him as a terrific backup point guard in the NBA.
Morris is the most steady of the group. His assist-to-turnover ratio has been head-turning while at Iowa State. The guy rarely makes a mistake. If he can prove to scouts that his lack of athleticism won't kill him defensively in the pros, he looks like a consummate NBA backup PG.
Simmons measured a 45-inch vertical at Arizona last month, but that's not the only thing going for him. He is a bit of a combo guard now, but he has the length, skills and quickness to be a point guard in the NBA. His decision-making can be suspect and he needs to continue to add strength, but his ability to get the ball in the basket -- at the rim and on the perimeter -- make him an intriguing prospect. He's probably at least another year away, but there's a lot of talent there.
Others to watch: P.J. Dozier, South Carolina; Shake Milton, SMU; Tyler Dorsey, Oregon; Isaiah Briscoe, Kentucky; Joel Berry, North Carolina; Andrew Jones, Texas; Melo Trimble, Maryland; Kenan Sipahi, Kosovo; Jawun Evans, Oklahoma State.