Magic Memorial: Best 16u Playmakers
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ANAHEIM — Open Gym Premier played host to the annual Magic Memorial Day tournament which is consistently one of the better late-May events on the west coast. We were in the gym Saturday for the BattleCup championship and third-place games…
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Continue ReadingANAHEIM — Open Gym Premier played host to the annual Magic Memorial Day tournament which is consistently one of the better late-May events on the west coast. We were in the gym Saturday for the BattleCup championship and third-place games on the 17u and 16u levels and saw plenty of talent from Southern California and beyond. In this piece we take a look at some of the better playmakers we saw among the prospects on the 16u level.
Alvin Loving Alvin Loving 6'4" | SF Salesian College Preparatory | 2025 State #343 Nation CA-N , Team Lillard
There are a few players on this list who aren’t traditional “playmakers” in the point guard type of sense and Loving is one of those guys. The 6-foot-3 lefty is more of a combo forward whose skill-set and frame allow him to play the 2, 3 and 4 spots depending on who he is on the floor with. While Loving’s game is unorthodox for his size he’s extremely effective because of his versatility. Loving is a knock down shooter off the catch who can really pass both as an outlet guy in transition and out of the high post.
Brandon Benjamin Brandon Benjamin 6'4" | PF Anaheim Canyon | 2025 State CA-S , OGP Anaheim Gold
Benjamin also falls into that mold of “non-traditional” playmaker. The 6-foot-5 forward is not only the go-to offensive player for his OGP squad but he’s responsible for creating much of his teammates offense, as well. Luckily Benjamin is a high IQ player who can handle it, see the floor and distribute in a point-forward type of way.
Justice Griffith Justice Griffith 6'0" | CG Corona Centennial | 2026 State CA-S , Compton Magic
Griffith’s playmaking abilities begin on the defensive end. The 6-foot freshman is one of the more aggressive on-ball defenders you’ll find in the class and his combination of physicality, speed and quick hands makes him a turnover-causing machine. When Griffith is able to turn over his defensive assignment his athleticism kicks in and he turns those mistakes into quick points on the other end.
Kade Bonam Kade Bonam 6'6" | PF St. John Bosco | 2025 State #110 Nation CA-S , Compton Magic
Bonam is another highly-skilled point forward type of player we saw Saturday. The 6-foot-6 junior-to-be has great feel as a passer and is unselfish by nature which makes him finding teammates and playing in a distributor role all the more natural to him. Bonam is a high-rate defensive rebounder who can grab and go and make high IQ decisions with the ball in transition.
Reece Kircher Reece Kircher 6'0" | PG Papio South | 2025 State NE , ETG Midwest
Kircher is of the “true” point guard mold as a guy who is on the floor to run the show, take care of the ball and put teammates in positions where they can be successful. The 6-footer is a fundamental ball handler who doesn’t over-dribble, can dish every pass in the book, and plays off of two feet when playmaking for teammates. Kircher brings a hard-nosed and unselfish approach to the game that you’d expect out of a midwest point guard.