NEW YORK — "At best," Mark Jackson appraises, no disrespect intended, "Steve Nash is the NBA's third-best point guard."

Deron Williams and Chris Paul, drafted Nos. 3 and 4 in the 2005 draft by the Jazz and Hornets, have superseded the two-time (2005 and 2006) MVP.

"It blows me away how Paul and Williams are so good so fast," Jackson gushes.

What makes them superlative and how do they compare to each other?

Barry Hecker, a talent scout in the league laboratory for two decades (Cavaliers and Clippers) who lives in Salt Lake City, offers his perspective.

"Williams thrives in Jerry Sloan's system," the scout says. "The key was his condition when he came to camp this season. He changed his body, lost weight and gained quickness. His quickness had concerned me coming out of college.

"Terrific ball handler. Uses the dribble with change of pace to get wherever he wants on the court and is very efficient. Doesn't over-handle. I think that goes along with buying into Sloan's system. Excellent on pick and roll. Gets the ball to Carlos Boozer when he is open.

"Can pull up off the fast break and hit the jump shot from 3-point range to 15 feet (5 meters). Because of his strength he can finish inside and has a knack for getting his shot, not what the defense dictates. More explosive to the hole going straight to the basket and can rise and dunk on your dome.

"On the break he will get the ball to the open man. If (the) break isn't there, he has learned to make good decisions and pull (the) ball out and run the offense.

"Defensively, he cannot lock you down like a Gary Payton could. But he stays in front of man and his team coverage concepts are solid."

Hecker has some interesting observations on Chris Paul's game.

"At 182 cm, 80 kg, he's 5 cm shorter and 15 kg lighter than Deron," he said. "That translates into enhanced quickness, which is evident by how explosive he is at switching gears.

"Chris arrived in the pros a more natural playmaker with an ability to really push the ball from one end to the other. However, his smaller body also means he's not as strong and durable as Deron over an 82-game season.

"His strength is changing speeds and getting where he wants in the lane. Not as expert at finishing as Deron.

"Paul's specialty is pulling up for baby jumpers. Great vision and has acumen to hit the open man at right time.

"Defensively, his pressure on the ball, anticipation and reaction time is superior to Deron leading to more steals. Byron Scott also allows him more freedom to roam than Sloan has with Deron, making him more programmed. Chris is more spontaneous."

Hecker believes Williams was the textbook choice for Sloan, whereas, Paul was perfect for Scott's up-tempo style.

"Had Chris gone to the Jazz, he wouldn't have liked the system as much and it might have stunted his growth," he said.

Paul's numbers (21.6 points, 11.3 assists, 2.7 steals, 2.6 turnovers) are a higher quality than Williams (19.4, 10.3, 1.09, 3.5) and Nash (17.5, 11.3, 0.66, 3.8).

Bottom line: All three are making their teammates, championship-contending teams and coaches better.

* * * * *

I THOUGHT Newsday was the last to find out Jerry West is very much interested in re-shaping the Knicks until reading colleague Marc Berman's uninformed take in Sunday's Post.

Regarding Newsday's Friday "news" splash (citing three up-to-date sources), it was mere months behind the NBA Report.

Way back when I reprimanded (in print and NBATV) the Daily News' infamous counterfeit columnist Mitch Lawrence for claiming the retired League Logo (and Jerry Colangelo) wanted no part of such a challenge.

All in all, what a sad business sports journalism has become . . . maybe always was.

By the way, West is all but fully recovered from a summer golf-cart accident.

He suffered a severely separated shoulder and acid burns to his leg when he got trapped under it for 45 minutes after it had flipped during a mad dash to the club house during a sudden lighting storm. Last week was the first time he had hit a golf ball since that scary incident.

"I hired a chauffeur to drive my cart," West cracked.

Peter Vecsey covers the NBA for the New York Post.