Sun Sentinel Broward Edition

Rating the point guards

- — Ira Winderman

A look at the top five point-guard candidates available in the NBA draft Thursday:

1. D’Angelo Russell, 6-4, Ohio State, freshman: Elite passer with a quality stroke, arguably most talented player in the draft. The best ready-to-go point guard in draft, with only question being whether there is additional upside.

2. Emmanuel Mudiay, 6-5, Congo, pro in China: Type of athlete who can dominate from the point, with true playmaker mentality and NBA body. But shot can be shaky, which is a concern with way NBA game is being played.

3. Cameron Payne, 6-2, Murray State, sophomore: While he likely won’t go nearly as high as Russell or Mudiay, Payne has shot to the lottery portion of most draft boards. Has shown ability to consistent­ly produce victories.

4. Jerian Grant, 6-4, Notre Dame, senior: A combo guard who should be ready to contribute in at least one of those roles immediatel­y. Upside could be limited, but teams will know what they’re getting.

5. Delon Wright, 6-5, Utah, senior: The brother of former Heat swingman Dorell Wright has been rising on draft boards because of his combinatio­n of maturity and size for the position. Considered ready-to-play prospect.

Sleeper

Duke’s Tyus Jones probably doesn’t truly qualify as a sleeper, but he was just that until he stepped up at the end of the NCAA Tournament and into the draft. The concern now is whether the guile and precision is enough to overcome questions about his speed and athleticis­m.

Worth noting

Grant’s younger brother Jerami Grant spent the past season as a rookie with 76ers after being selected 39th last year. Jerian’s father, Harvey, played in the NBA from 1988 to ’99, with his uncle, Horace, a four-time NBA champion over a pro career that spanned 1987 to 2004.

Rating the field

The draft is loaded with athletic point guards with NBA size. There is enough depth for teams to find playmakers well into second round.

Heat need

Operating under the assumption that Goran Dragic returns, the Heat should have the position covered with

Mario Chalmers and Shabazz Napier returning. Question for Heat is whether they have confidence to eventually play Napier as their primary backup point guard, should Chalmers’ salary become an issue down the road.

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