The NBA Draft wasn't just due for a boon of talented and ready point guards.

It was long overdue.

The crop of point guards has been so barren of late that only two -- Jamal Crawford in 2000 and Jay Williams in 2002 -- have been selected with lottery picks (the first 13) the past three years. And since 1999 when Steve Francis, Baron Davis, Andre Miller and Jason Terry were taken in the lottery, only 11 point guards have been selected in the first round of the past three drafts.

Enter now a group of point guards that should once again allow the position to be the focus of Thursday night's NBA Draft.

"It's certainly the year of the point guard," said NBA Draft guru Marty Blake.

Top pick LeBron James may or may not eventually play point guard someday -- future teammate Darius Miles recently compared him to "an athletic Magic Johnson" -- but many of the other prospects are destined run teams from the point guard slot.