The Expo: Playmakers Who Saw the Floor

The ability to score will always grab attention, but some of my favorite players to watch are the ones who consistently make the game easier for everyone around them. At The Expo, several players impressed with their court vision, decision-making, and ability to create quality opportunities for their teammates. Whether it was pushing the ball with their head up in transition, drawing extra defenders before finding the open player, making the right read in the half court, or delivering a pass through a tight window, these players showed they could see plays developing. Here are five playmakers who caught my attention with their ability to see the floor at The Expo.    Elynne impressed me with her ability to see the floor and consistently create opportunities for the players around her. Her passing ability was at a next-level standard, as she played with her eyes up, recognized openings in the defense, and delivered the ball where her teammates could immediately make a play. She paired that vision with a strong handle, allowing her to maintain control while surveying what was developing around her. Elynne was especially effective after securing defensive rebounds, immediately getting her head up and pushing the pace while reading the floor in transition. She also knocked down shots from behind the arc, giving defenders another concern and opening additional opportunities for her to create off the dribble.     Logyn was one of my top performers at The Expo and showed many of the qualities you want from a point guard. She consistently played with her head up and displayed excellent court vision, particularly when the game opened up in transition. Logyn delivered several quality passes on the break and did a good job recognizing when to advance the ball to a teammate. She also rebounded well from the guard position, and when she secured a defensive board, she was capable of immediately turning it into a transition opportunity and going coast-to-coast when the lane was available. Add in her handle, basketball IQ, and ability to finish through contact, and Logyn showed she could both create for others and take advantage of scoring opportunities herself.     Braylee showed an impressive feel for creating offense with the ball in her hands. She has excellent court vision and a good handle, but what caught my attention was her ability to use those skills together. Braylee attacked the defense with purpose, getting into the lane and drawing multiple defenders before finding the open teammate. Instead of forcing a shot once the defense collapsed, she consistently kept her eyes up and looked for the best available option. Her ability to get paint touches, force help, and then deliver the ball to an open teammate made her an effective creator throughout the day.     Kaylee was one of my top performers on the day and showed that she could create advantages in several different ways. She has a tight, shifty handle and enough twitchiness off the dribble to get past defenders and attack downhill, but her ability to see the floor once she created that advantage was equally impressive. Kaylee consistently kept her head up, displayed excellent court vision, and delivered quality passes as the defense shifted toward her. She even mixed in an impressive no-look pass that showed the confidence she has as a facilitator. Her ability to break down a defender and then make the correct read gave her plenty of opportunities to create for both herself and her teammates.     Amanda showed a nice balance between looking for her own offense and recognizing when her attack created something better for a teammate. One of her best examples came on a drive-and-kick, where she attacked the lane, drew multiple defenders toward her, and found the open player rather than forcing a finish in traffic. She delivered several other impressive passes throughout the day, showing good awareness of where her teammates were as the defense moved. Amanda also gave defenders plenty of reason to respect her as a scorer, knocking down back-to-back threes with the second coming on a smooth step-back. That shooting threat helped open driving lanes and gave her another way to create opportunities for others.

The ability to score will always grab attention, but some of my favorite players to watch are the ones who consistently make the game easier for everyone around them. At The Expo, several players impressed with their court vision, decision-making, and ability to create quality opportunities for their teammates. Whether it was pushing the ball with their head up in transition, drawing extra defenders before finding the open player, making the right read in the half court, or delivering a pass through a tight window, these players showed they could see plays developing. Here are five playmakers who caught my attention with their ability to see the floor at The Expo.