NBA great Avery Johnson, who had success as both a player and a coach, once said, “I just loved passing the ball. I loved making my teammates better because everybody wanted to score.” He earned the nickname “Little General” while playing alongside David Robinson, “The Admiral,” in San Antonio.

Today we take a second look at standout passers from the OTR Circuit this past spring and summer. We focus on the playmakers who could create something when nothing was there.

The Playmakers

Georgia Canes point guard Tyson Sharper emerged as one of the stronger prospects on the Circuit coming out of July. He regularly filled the stat sheet with points, assists, rebounds, and steals. His confidence and efficiency were key reasons the Canes reached the Circuit Championship Game.

Elite Playmakers had two guards who lived up to the team name. Point guard Jason Smith and combo guard Noah Jones worked well together. Smith often acted as the primary attacker, slicing into the lane and forcing the defense to help and rotate. Jones served as a secondary playmaker who made the extra pass and trusted his instincts on the right read.

Essien Lockleer of Only1Elite got hot as a scorer more than once this season. He showed he could also distribute. Coach Ruggs noted that Lockleer was as capable as a distributor as he was as a primary scorer.

Coach Colin Robbie called Jonah Daniel the “full package” last month. Daniel earned a reputation as a knockdown shooter at the Sweet Sixteen, but a closer look at his production showed he has command of the whole game. He consistently put numbers up across the board.

The Crafty

A handful of prospects stood out for their ability to break down defenders with their handle. Eliel Otero of Beach Boys Elite regularly put opponents on skates. Jakez Baldwin of Thunder Select did the same, using balance and finesse to create angles in traffic (video above). Savion Stewart (pictured below) s a name that needs more attention heading into the high school season. He earned praise with 100 Kings this summer for his craftiness as both a handler and passer. He will play for Peachtree Ridge this winter.

Table Setters

The point guard who delivers the ball in rhythm and on time often becomes a teammate’s favorite. Gabriel Knecht of the Griffin Grasshoppers earned that reputation by averaging five assists per game. Nick Levi of Triangle Offense Elite had talented shooters around him and made the most of it, averaging more than four assists per game this spring.

Notable Names

Zay Walker – Georgia Fire

Nasir Mergan – Atlanta Panthers

Mike Underwood – HoopGrind

Written, edited, and formatted for web by the author

Jonathan Hemingway is a senior writer for On the Radar Hoops. He has covered basketball for the site since 2013 and has been involved in the game since 1995 as a coach, camp director, and evaluator. Reach him at CoachHemi@gmail.com or follow @CoachHemi on X and @Coach_Hemi on Instagram.