Israel Guiterrez of the Miami Herald reports that the Heat are prepared for a training camp battle to determine the stating point guard position. They have five similar players all working to be named the starter.

No other position will see this much competition during the next month, with Travis Best, Anthony Carter, Mike James, Eddie House and Khalid El-Amin all contending for court time. And that's just what Riley had in mind when he loaded up with point guards heading into camp.

''It's going to be a wild month,'' Riley said. ``That's what I want. I want it wide open, and the last man standing, the best man standing, the guy that helps the team function the best in our style of play is the guy who will start. But there is no guarantee for any of them.''

It is assumed that Best will have a slight head start even though he is currently hampered by a minor calf injury that will limit his participation when camp begins. Although Riley doesn't want to award any of the five a job yet, he did provide a minor hint that Best will be his main man. ''I think he's a hell of a player and can play the game specifically for a certain game that we want to play,'' Riley said.

Best?s quickness and shooting ability should help him perform well in the up-tempo, perimeter game Riley plans to play. Carter can run and play an up-tempo game and is healthy, but his shooting is suspect. James was impressive in the summer leagues, but is just a rookie. House will likely get more time as the shooting guard. El Amin is a longshot who will have to impress Riley just to get a spot on the roster.

For these five, surviving the next month will be a victory in itself. ''They're going to have they're hands full,'' Riley said, ``because these kids are hungry . . . and they're ready to roll.''