The mother lode of point guard prospects arrived in Sacramento for a competitive gathering on Father's Day, but, sorry, no easy-to-assemble gifts were delivered. As NBA draft day nears, clarity remains an elusive, confounding concept.

Jump shots. Turnovers. One-on-one plays.

For now, it's all a tease.

During Sunday's highly anticipated workout at the Kings' practice facility, there were several muscular drives by the physically imposing Tyreke Evans, an abundance of pure, sweet jump shots by Stephen Curry and the steady if unspectacular presence of Jonny Flynn, along with a steady stream of fumes trailing the jet-quick Patrick Mills.

But there were few scintillating passes during the 20 or so minutes reporters were allowed to observe, and very few other reasons to tinker with the mock drafts and scream, "This is the guy who should be the Kings' No. 4 pick and the projected starting point guard who deserves to keep Ricky Rubio out of a purple jersey!"

Brandon Jennings? Wasn't there.

Hasheem Thabeet? He's a center. Wasn't invited.

Rubio? The 6-foot-5 playmaker who should be a King was in Los Angeles while his agent reportedly was finalizing the $6.6 million buyout of the youngster's contract with Spain's DKV Joventut. That means Memphis and Oklahoma City, the teams drafting Nos. 2 and 3 Thursday, will have opportunities to select and possibly trade Rubio's rights before the Kings choose at No. 4.

Back at the Kings' practice facility – to the team desperately needing a Rubio-esque floor leader who distributes, who excites fans, who would return relevance to a slumbering franchise, and whose selection would be in the best interest of the organization and the community – the evaluations continued. Curry entertained with his right arm, Flynn reinforced his standing as the less risky of the potential picks, Evans impressed with his sheer physicality, and Saint Mary's Mills made his case as a legitimate backup.

Curry's father, former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry, said his son was disappointed by his performance and the format. In other words, he thought the group featured too many point guards – in fact, all were point guards or combo guards – and too few big men to chase down assists.

"I thought the Kings would have had a couple big men out there so Stephen could show his point guard skills," the elder Curry said from his home in Charlotte, N.C. "But they played him on the wings. We were a little surprised at that. What he wanted to do is show that he's a pass-first guy and an extremely good ballhandler who can lead a team. He can slide over and play some two (shooting guard), but we hope that whichever team takes him realizes that he is a point guard. We have always stressed that with him."

Kings coach Paul Westphal, who ran the workout, easing into the role normally assumed by basketball president Geoff Petrie, suggested the format was dictated strictly by the size and position of those who agreed to participate.

"If we could have replicated a game with five-on-five, we would have," Westphal said. "But I thought it was a really good workout. We saw what we wanted to see."

As Thursday's annual event approaches – and cognizant that the mind games and misdirection plays will intensify accordingly – the Kings are most interested in Flynn, Evans, Curry and Rubio, though the order of preference is unclear.

As for Curry's defense, and in particular, that nasty crossover that shook Evans free? "Every rookie has to figure out how to keep quicker guys in front of them," Dell Curry said. "He will have to adjust to that. But he's a crafty guy, and one thing Steph has going for him is that he can shoot the ball. In this league, there is always a place for someone who can shoot."

Call The Bee's Ailene Voisin, (916) 321-1208.