Magic Memorial: Best 17u Playmakers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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 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 evaluated.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Brycen Mackenzie, Gamepoint</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mackenzie's combination of speed, power and control makes him an automatic paint touch in transition and his high basketball IQ results in him making the right plays out of those almost every time down the floor. If you tracked usage rate for club teams, the 6-foot-3 point guard would be among the highest we've seen this spring due to the sheer amount of time he handles the ball and how much of the offense he's responsible for creating.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Caua Pacheco, Veritas</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pacheco is a native of Brazil and brings that heady, crafty and crisp international style of play to the floor. The 6-foot point guard is a reliable ball handler and decision-maker whose speed with the ball while remaining under-control allows him to maintain his court vision, read the floor and make plays for teammates. Pacheco is a creative passer who delivers the ball on time and on target from various angles and areas of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1502773' first='Eric' last='Freeny'], Compton Magic</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Freeny isn't your traditional point guard, per se, but his skill-set allows him to be a primary playmaker when needed. The 6-foot-4 swingman is a jack-of-all-trades prospect whose unorthodox style of play for his size makes him a tough matchup for the opponent. Freeny is a great rebounder for his size and position, has the ball skills and passing IQ to push the break and his willingness to crash the offensive boards makes him a guy who generates second-chance opportunities for his team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1953896' first='Jaden' last='Jackson'], ETG Midwest</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>According to the ETG club director, Jackson has more of a scoring mindset to his game that has led to a handful of Division 1 offers. While the 6-foot-1 guard did plenty of scoring in a BattleCup win over Compton Magic he also flashed his playmaking acumen on both ends of the floor. Jackson used his length and quick twitch athleticism to speed up offensive players and create turnovers which led to easy transition offense. His ability to drive by his defender and jump stop in the lane opened up passing lanes and second cut opportunities for his teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1264595' first='Jase' last='Butler'], Lakeshow</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Butler has a throwback feel to his game that translates to the next level as a traditional point guard type of way. The smooth lefty is well-paced in both transition and half-court offense and a willing passer who will get off the ball and move without it to initiate offense. When the ball eventually gets back in Butler's hands, his vision, unselfishness and his ability to get in the lane and draw multiple defenders opens up drive-and-kick opportunities. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1502778' first='Lawrence' last='Rudolph'], Dream Vision</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rudolph has some pretty big shoes to fill after Dedan Thomas committed to UNLV and, because of his absence, Rudolph takes over the reins of the Dream Vision offense. As we've noted in prior evaluations, the San Diego-based point guard is a strong-bodied and explosive athlete whose burst in the open court helps him get to the rim and score with ease. Those same attributes also helps suck in the defense and draw attention to the drive which creates lob passes and open shots for teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->