Meet three of Long Island's top point guards
Malik Edmead of Deer Park splits the Bellport defense with his layup during their Suffolk Class AA boys basketball semifinal playoff game at Farmingdale State College on Sunday, February 25, 2018. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Forget the idea that there’s a typical mold, formula or box a point guard needs to fit into.
The traditional point guard may have been one of the smaller players on the court, with the primary responsibility of dribbling the ball past midcourt, then finding his playmakers to put the ball in the basket. This is no longer the case. Not on the professional level, collegiate circuit or high school basketball. And Long Island is no exception.
“Our point guard is the most important position on the floor,” said longtime Deer Park coach John McCaffrey. “It’s basically the quarterback of your team.”
If you take a look at the landscape of professional basketball, the upper echelon doesn’t play one way. Some are primarily shooters, others creates for others, others lockdown defenders and the best of the best can do a little of everything. Long Island’s elite ball handlers fall under the latter, with the ability to contribute in every aspect of the game.
“If you find somebody you can put your trust in on the floor, I think it gives you such a decisive advantage over the the other team,” said Chaminade coach Bob Paul. “Because not only do you have a really good player on the court, but you have someone who’s not only out there playing, but he’s moving the other pieces as well.”
Meet three of Long Island's best:
Malik Edmead, Deer Park
Edmead is the definition of the do-it-all point guard for the Falcons. With a combination of speed and shooting ability, precision passing, elite vision and aggression near the basket, the junior guard leads Deer Park in scoring (21.1 points), rebounds (8), assists (7.5) and steals (6.5) per game.
“He’s literally our version of Russell Westbrook,” McCaffrey said. “He is that new type of athlete where he’s the best athlete in the gym, and you don’t usually see that in a point guard.”
Deer Park's Malik Edmead looks to drive the lane past Bellport's Jarell White, Friday, January 10, 2019 at Bellport High School. Credit: George A. Faella
Edmead appreciated the comparison from his coach, saying the Oklahoma City guard is his favorite player and one he models his game after. Edmead said he spends hours before and after practice shooting and working tirelessly to perfect his craft. He wants to be the type of point guard that contributes in every facet of the game.
“If you have a point guard who just passes the ball, he’s not going to really contribute as much,” Edmead said. “But if you have a point guard who does everything, your teammates will love him and you’ll get more wins on the floor. It’s leading by example.”
Michael O’Connell, Chaminade
Paul doesn’t call O’Connell a coach on the floor because it’s something that sounds nice. The coach describes his junior that way because that is exactly what he wants O’Connell doing.
“Sometimes the insight on the court is better than the input from the sidelines,” Paul said. “Suggestions on what’s working and not working is really important for us to make in-game adjustments. If the message is coming directly from someone on the court, I think it can really lead to better execution.”
With the freedom and encouragement to voice his opinion more, O’Connell has made improvements to both his game and the team’s success.
Michael O'Connell of Chaminade drives to the basket against Jack Garside of Kings Park during a game on Nov 28, 2018. Credit: Anna Sergeeva
“As I’m getting older, you get more of a feel of everything,” O’Connell said. “Since I’m out on the court, we just talk about it and go to the coach and tell him what we see out there and see if we can benefit ourselves better.”
For O’Connell, averaging 21.1 points and more than four assists per game, his favorite part of playing point guard is being in the position to help his team on nearly every play.
“Being a floor general, I’m always trying to give my teammates a shot,” he said. “Just trying to be a leader out there and helping the team play for the best.”
Andre Curbelo, Long Island Lutheran
There’s no convincing Curbelo that scoring is more fun than assisting. Even with LuHi coach John Buck encouraging Curbelo before the season to shoot the ball more. The junior has done that, averaging 15.5 points per game, but he continues to look to feed his teammates as the primary objective.
“I take basketball and I relate it to life,” Curbelo said. “So if I see someone starving and I’m hungry too, if the guy’s starving I can help him, too. And it’s kind of the same in basketball. If I pass it to my teammates and they are scoring, it makes them happy and makes me happy and makes me enjoy the game a little bit more.”
Curbelo, who is receiving high Division-I interest, has taken over as LuHi’s primary ball handler, carving up some of the top competition on the East Coast.
Long Island Lutheran's Andre Curbelo flies up the middle against Westbury at Long Island Lutheran High School on Dec. 12, 2018. Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
“He just has a really good feel for controlling the game,” Buck said. “He plays at his pace, he has his head up at all times. It just puts the game in LuHi’s favor when he’s out there.”
“I like to run plays and create for others,” Curbelo said. “And I think as a point guard, that’s what you have to do is look for teammates and then yourself.”
Other ball handlers to watch: Ahkee Anderson (Greenport), Zaire Baines (Portledge), Rylan Blondo (Lynbrook), Sean Braithwaite (Center Moriches), Jayson Delgado (Floral Park), Kenny Lazo (Brentwood), Rolando Meyers-Turner (Uniondale), Ty-Shon Pannell (Central Islip), Tavin Pierre-Philippe (Baldwin), Mike Sixsmith (Holy Trinity), Tyler St. Furcy (Lawrence Woodmere Academy)
