Sacramento Kings ‘enamored’ with Darius Acuff Jr., but should they draft him?
The Sacramento Kings have been linked to one player more than any other as anticipation builds for the NBA draft.
All together now: Darius Acuff Jr.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scott joined the chorus over the weekend, reporting that the Kings are “enamored” with the 19-year-old Arkansas point guard. And yes, indeed, there’s a lot to like about Acuff as the Kings prepare to choose a player with the No. 7 pick in one of the most ballyhooed drafts in NBA history.
AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson are widely projected to be the top four picks in the draft. That would leave the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets and Kings to choose from an impressive group of guards that features Acuff, Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, Brayden Burries and Mikel Brown Jr.
If Acuff is available at No. 7, the decision might come down to offense vs. defense for a Kings team that was good at neither while going 22-60 to tie the tanking Utah Jazz for the fourth-worst record in the NBA this season. Offensively, Acuff looks like a special player with more superstar potential than the other players in this range, but defensively there is cause for concern.
Acuff averaged 23.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists in his only season at Arkansas to help coach John Calipari’s Razorbacks reach the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. He shot 48.4% from the field, 44.3% from 3-point range and 80.9% at the free-throw line.
Acuff was named Southeastern Conference Rookie of the Year, SEC Player of the Year and SEC tournament MVP. He was a consensus first-team All-American and the winner of the Bob Cousy Award, which is presented to the nation’s top point guard.
Calipari’s programs have produced an impressive line of NBA guards over the past 20 years, including Derrick Rose, John Wall, Tyreke Evans, Jamal Murray, Devin Booker, De’Aaron Fox, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyler Herro and Tyrese Maxey. Acuff averaged more points than any of them, and only Wall averaged more assists (6.5).
ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins had high praise for Acuff on “First Take” back in February, saying: “He is the best guard that John Calipari has coached. I’m not talking about NBA career — college career. ... I would actually take Darius Acuff Jr. with the No. 1pick. He is Steph Marbury times two with a Derrick Rose mentality as far as his demeanor. He is a bona fide killer.”
Kings general manager Scott Perry is well acquainted with the Acuff family after coaching his father at Eastern Kentucky years ago. Acuff started his high school career at Cass Tech in Detroit, 10 miles from the school where Perry became an all-state selection in 1981. Acuff finished his prep career at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, less than two hours from Perry’s offseason home in the Orlando area.
Perry knows Acuff’s name, his game and his character. The question Perry must ask himself is whether Acuff can be good enough defensively to help the Kings bring winning basketball back to Sacramento.
Acuff addressed concerns about his defense when asked about the criticism at the NBA combine.
“To be honest with you, I don’t really care,” Acuff said. “People are always going to have an opinion no matter what, so I just kind of state how I feel about the game. If people got an opinion, that’s their opinion of me. I don’t really got nothing to say to it. I know I want to play defense, so I don’t really respond to it. I do feel like I need to pick up my defense, so I’m gonna do it.”
Acuff is a bit undersized after being measured at 6-foot-2 without shoes at the NBA combine, but nobody plays without shoes and he has an impressive 6-6 ½ wingspan. That bodes well for his ability to become a serviceable defender in the NBA even if the video footage from his freshman season was somewhat alarming.
There are high-ranking officials in the Kings organization who are not concerned about Acuff’s defense. If they are convinced he can defend well enough to contribute to winning basketball, they should draft him. If not, they should strongly consider Wagler, Flemings, Burries or Brown.
