The Stage, Act 1: 2024 Standouts, Part 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The folks at Open Gym Premier and the Compton Magic teamed up for a second year to bring The Stage to Anaheim for the live period. This year's event featured a number of quality teams and prospects from the 15u to 17u levels.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In my first reports, I break down some of the 2024 prospects who stood out among the crowd.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1817898' first='Alier' last='Alier'], 6-8 F, San Francisco Rebels</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The wiry four man has an elite motor and metrics, and puts them to good use. He is an excellent rim protector and pursues rebounds out of his area, scoring around the basket with either hand. He shows flashes of the ability to attack off the wing, including a thunderous dunk off the bounce in a win over Swoosh Elite. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">RJ Nance, 6-2 G, Las Vegas Punishers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The physical-yet-crafty combo guard is one of the more gifted scorers on hand. His ability to attack going to his dominant hand and score through contact was on display all weekend, as he carved up teams with productive paint touches. He is a streaky, yet playable shooter with a low release point, but hit several threes throughout the weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1502812' first='Tony' last='Duckett'], 6-2 G, Gamepoint Elite</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Duckett has an uncanny ability to score through contact for a player of his build. The wiry and somewhat narrow scoring guard gets down hill and attacks the chest of shot blockers, and finishes plays with either hand around the basket. He's a solid shooter off the catch to boot. Defensively, his length and activity gives opposing guards fits. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Rayvon Adams, 6-7 W, NW Greyhounds</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Adams immediately stood out to me due to his combination of skill, immature physique and immense upside. The skilled four man is a very good passer who plays a cerebral brand of basketball that is a nice complement to his teammate Demaree Collins. While not a great shooter from three, his shot is playable. But above all, Adams looks like he's not done growing by a long shot, and his length, inside-out skill and rebounding all translate to the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jordan Roberts, 5-11 PG, SUSA Elite</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perhaps the best pure passer in the gym, Roberts averaged a whopping 11.25 assists per game over the four contests. A wiry and slightly built playmaker, Roberts makes all of the passes you'd expect to see from a point guard. An underrated aspect of his game? His post entry passes. He always seemed to hit his target in the hands in the direction they were headed, allowing them to score with ease. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1382861' first='Amani' last='Johnson'], 6-3 G, Team California</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A bigger combo guard with a solid frame, crafty handles and a smooth jump shot, Johnson scored at will throughout the weekend. He also buys into his team's defense first mentality, showcasing the ability to guard multiple positions and pick up full court. Above all, he comes from a Salesian program in the Bay Area that has a winning tradition, and winning translates. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1382880' first='Caden' last='Pinnick'], 6-0 PG, Team California </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The three-sport star (football and baseball) is a stocky bruiser of a point guard, who can punish point guards getting downhill into the paint. Once he's there, he knows how to find his teammates on the perimeter, evidenced by his 6-assists-per-game averages. A streaky shooter, Pinnick was able to knock down shots from midrange and three to keep defenders on their heels all weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->