Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
He was getting to his spots really well. The shots just weren’t falling. But yeah games like this are why people don’t like college basketball
Mock draft 2026
- Thread starter iowamcnabb
- Start date
SacKings123
G-League
As both college and nba are nearing the end of their season, I’m starting to open up on the idea of drafting Acuff (not confident we are getting top 3, hopefully I’m wrong)
He looks like a stud on offense but terrible on defense. There are some good Pgs in the past that have had success in the nba. We will just have to make sure we build a strong defensive roster around him to make up for his lack of defense
He looks like a stud on offense but terrible on defense. There are some good Pgs in the past that have had success in the nba. We will just have to make sure we build a strong defensive roster around him to make up for his lack of defense
A lot of the top prospects look just ok on defense. I’m also a fan of Acuff. I’ve watched Petersen a few times. I’ve watched Acuff a few times. Just in those games I’ve watched, Acuff has popped more than Petersen….at least for me and in a small sample size.
I’d like to be somewhere in the top 5 so we can end up with one of Dybantsa, Acuff, Petersen, Boozer or Caleb Wilson and to be honest, I haven’t watched Wilson but going off media and what others are saying here about him.
Is there anyone else approaching these 5 guys? Slight tier below or they belong in or near this to 5?
Flemings was pretty much a consensus top 5 pick but I think I'd take Acuff over him at this point. Flemings seems more of a solid B tier PG where Acuff has the makings of the next Brunson.
Flemings is built like Keon isn’t he? Acuff looks like he can absorb contact based on the body.
Yeah they're built similarly. Also Flemings is listed at 6'4" but he always looks like the shortest guy on the court to me.
He's listed as an inch taller and 20lbs heavier than Fox was at Kentucky but I find that hard to believe. Seems like WWE measurements to me.
Either way, Fox showed that being a bit skinny in college doesn't mean you're going to stay that way in the NBA. If anything, he actually played worse the year when he bulked up and didn't get back on track until halfway through the season when he slimmed back down.
Others probably don't agree but I have him with a realistic ceiling of a Mike Conley level player. Definitely not a player we would be mad about but not a foundation piece either.
Yes on both counts.
Joshyjosh31
Starter
100% correct if Acuff is the pick based on BPA then we have to start Caldwell over max it’s as simple as that
As long as they're not putting Acuff in the top four I'm OK with that.
QWERTYLICIOUS
Starter
If Acuff goes to us with the #1 pick, Imma hunt Vivek's *** down.
Or even the #2 pick.
Or the #3 pick.
The jury's still out on picks 4, 5, and maybe even 6.
Or even the #2 pick.
Or the #3 pick.
The jury's still out on picks 4, 5, and maybe even 6.
I've got Labaron Philon at Alabama in that category too, though that seems to be a minority opinion. His scoring numbers are comparable to Peterson's and are right at the top of this class. He's also more of a lead ballhandler than Peterson is but he's an inch or so shorter and hasn't stood out defensively as Peterson sometimes has. And he's a sophomore so he's a little older.
Keaton Wagler at Illinois is also worth a look. He's started to generate buzz as the season has gone on and may be in play for a top 5 pick now with his mix of size, athleticism, shooting, and playmaking. And I agree with you about Acuff. With the way he's played this month, he may have passed up Flemings in the draft hierarchy as the next best guard after Peterson on a lot of player rankings. And I personally like him more than Peterson as a prospect given that he doesn't have the injury concerns and it's more obvious how his play is directly translating into team wins. Which is the end goal here.
I think a lot of what is driving Acuff right now is that's he's got that Alpha Dog in him. I'd say there are only two guys at the top of the draft that give off full Alpha Dog to me:
Alpha Dog:
Dybantsa
Acuff
Enough Dog:
Boozer
Wilson
Peterson
Flemings
Maybe Enough Dog:
Philon
Need To See More Dog:
Wagler
Cat:
Ament
Obviously "Dog" is independent of skill level. You can have a super-skilled guy that's kind of passive, and you can have a bricklayer that has no back-down in him - both of these are suboptimal in their own way. You can't draft just on Dog, but it's important to factor in. With Acuff, your team is probably going to ride-or-die with him. A Philon or a Wagler isn't going to grab the spotlight full time; Acuff is taking the keys for better or worse.
Alpha Dog:
Dybantsa
Acuff
Enough Dog:
Boozer
Wilson
Peterson
Flemings
Maybe Enough Dog:
Philon
Need To See More Dog:
Wagler
Cat:
Ament
Obviously "Dog" is independent of skill level. You can have a super-skilled guy that's kind of passive, and you can have a bricklayer that has no back-down in him - both of these are suboptimal in their own way. You can't draft just on Dog, but it's important to factor in. With Acuff, your team is probably going to ride-or-die with him. A Philon or a Wagler isn't going to grab the spotlight full time; Acuff is taking the keys for better or worse.
ockingsfan
Starter
If we get a top 3 pick, I'm taking the "Alpha DOG" with mad skills every day of the week. About the only guy I would pick over Acuff right now is AJ.
This league is built on Superstars and Acuff has that skill set and mentality. You get the star and build the team around him to help cover his weakness on defense.
Luka and Hali didn't get their teams to the Finals with their defense. The rest of the team needs to be assembled to compliment your star. And we need to find that Superstar.
Joshyjosh31
Starter
How many superstars are 6’2? Brunson off the top of my head.. would be malpractice to take Acuff over Peterson who might be the easiest to build around when his off ball scoring is as elite as it gets and he’s a two way player that can defend multiple positions
I also don’t trust the FO to start Caldwell if we draft Acuff and we’ll basically start two non defenders at crucial positions
If Acuff is a 30 ppg player in the NBA and Peterson continues to have injury issues which keep him out of games the rest of his career, whoever takes Acuff will probably be happier. This is always a best-guess situation at the time of the draft, none of us knows for sure how it will turn out. I think you are correct to be wary of drafting a non-defender with such a high pick, but the counter argument is that nobody is having a better March than Acuff is having which includes the conference tournament games and March Madness (so far). We were one of the 5 teams who passed on Damian Lillard in 2012. If all you're looking at is size and positional versatility, could you be making a version of that same mistake by writing off Acuff?
ockingsfan
Starter
3 of the top 9 scorers in the NBA currently are 6'2", including Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson
Tizzy Flip
Starter
I’m taking Flemings over Acuff.
I like Acuff’s scoring but his numbers are inflated in Calipari’s system like they have been with a lot of other guards he coached at Kentucky. His numbers were not as great when he played Florida, Duke, and Houston vs their recent wins over Hawaii, High Point, Ole Miss, and Vandy. So it should be interesting to see what he does against Arizona.
What’s funny to me is we get enamored with dawg defensive minded guards like Davion and Devin but when their offense and shooting are not good, we go the opposite direction and get enamored with the scoring 1s but who play no defense.
Flemings is more like the unheralded guard that played under Calipari, Maxey. And he’s long, plays strong defense as is required by Sampson, great rebounder for a 1. His offensive numbers are not going to be splashy only due to Samspon’s system. They’re deliberate, limit possessions, and the points guards are told to distribute first.
Acuff will likely have better scoring numbers than Flemings in the NBA. But I want the 2 way player that can still average 20+ ppg
I like Acuff’s scoring but his numbers are inflated in Calipari’s system like they have been with a lot of other guards he coached at Kentucky. His numbers were not as great when he played Florida, Duke, and Houston vs their recent wins over Hawaii, High Point, Ole Miss, and Vandy. So it should be interesting to see what he does against Arizona.
What’s funny to me is we get enamored with dawg defensive minded guards like Davion and Devin but when their offense and shooting are not good, we go the opposite direction and get enamored with the scoring 1s but who play no defense.
Flemings is more like the unheralded guard that played under Calipari, Maxey. And he’s long, plays strong defense as is required by Sampson, great rebounder for a 1. His offensive numbers are not going to be splashy only due to Samspon’s system. They’re deliberate, limit possessions, and the points guards are told to distribute first.
Acuff will likely have better scoring numbers than Flemings in the NBA. But I want the 2 way player that can still average 20+ ppg
iowamcnabb
Hall of Famer
Vecenie thinks there will be 8 all stars in this draft but isn’t convinced there is a true number one on a championship team type player.
Joshyjosh31
Starter
If AJ hits he’s literally a 6’9 SGA with more athleticism and better passing
Fair point Mitchell has a freakish wingspan and Maxey is close to an elite athlete Acuff should be very good but Peterson has all nba potential with great defense I’m not taking Acuff over him
I wouldn’t mind Acuff at five he should be very good and we’d have to plug in Caldwell as the starting center not Max
Peterson has 30ppg potential as well he wasn’t moving the way he did in HS and still put up very good numbers
Acuff has that dog in him
QWERTYLICIOUS
Starter
Oh man...If Joshy's past history is any indication, this means that we better stay as far away from AJ as humanely possible...
Hmm, I don't know if that level of guy is ever projectable though. What would be the cut-off now for that player? Like Don Mitchell? Brunson? Is healthy Zion?
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
Well that’s fine because I’m all in on le Maxime Train, baby!!!
iowamcnabb
Hall of Famer
Yeh I think he was saying only a few guys in the league are that level player. Cade, Wemby and Flagg from the last few drafts. They were comparing AJ to Jalen Brown for example, a guy they thought was a tier below those other stars.
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
Cooper is good but I feel like it may be a little soon to put him in the Wemby class of alpha. It took Cade a few years to turn in an alpha and in the meantime his team was godawful despite him being on it.
Also Jalen Brown is currently the best player on one of the best teams in the east despite its “alpha” being gone for most the year and a diminished shadow now that he’s back which feels like alpha level to me
Jaylen Brown would be my pick for MVP this season, given the combination of his individual stats and his team's performance relative to expectation. Granted I've always liked Jaylen so I'm pre-disposed to root for him, but I think he proved a lot this season -- that he can be a #1 guy offensively without Tatum and without sacrificing anything defensively. Shai's team is stacked. Luka gets way too much of a Lakers bump for me not to look at his stats sideways (and he takes a lot of plays off on defense). Wemby has missed too many games. I would also accept Cade Cunningham and Jalen Brunson as acceptable alternatives.
I don't know that AJ's defensive impact has been as good as he's sometimes given credit for. That's still a question mark for me. He tries out there but I don't see a ton of great instincts on that side of the floor. Also his three point shooting really tanked hard at the end of the season... but I still think he's a worthy #1. The ability to square up pretty much anyone and get to the basket or pull up in the mid-range, get to the free throw line in bunches, and set up his teammates at 6'9" is special. I can see some taller Jaylen Brown parallels -- he's never been an elite shooter either, but he makes enough of them to keep defenses guessing.
Now that we've seen almost a whole college basketball season, the choices at the top have become a little more polarizing. AJ is the best scorer, Peterson has the all-around game with the notable exception of his paltry assist totals. Boozer has provided steady production all season long and been the best player on a 24-2 Duke team which looks like the favorite to win the title but he's a PF/C who is not a defensive anchor. That may not be an issue for us though, depending on if you're a Dylan Cardwell believer or not. Caleb Wilson likely has the highest ceiling but he has yet to prove that he can be a consistent shooter and his offensive arsenal is somewhat limited and reliant on overwhelming people with athleticism. And then you have all of the other guards, all of whom are great at something but are harder for Kings fans to get excited about since we've been trapped in a purgatory of having one elite guard and little else for most of the last 20 years.
Telemachus
Starter
Here are a couple of players that would be good pickups in the second round.
Zuby Ejiofir of St.Johns. He is an athletic forward (6'9, 245) who plays excellent defense and rebounds. A good scorer around the basket.
Trevon Brazile of Arkansas. A long, athletic forward who is a good defender and rebounder. Scores well all over, but needs to improve his 3pt shooting (35%).
Zuby Ejiofir of St.Johns. He is an athletic forward (6'9, 245) who plays excellent defense and rebounds. A good scorer around the basket.
Trevon Brazile of Arkansas. A long, athletic forward who is a good defender and rebounder. Scores well all over, but needs to improve his 3pt shooting (35%).
Telemachus
Starter
For fun, I thought I would list my top 10 right now. This is my ranking, not how I see the draft going.
1. Caleb Wilson
2. AJ Dybantsa
3. Cameron Boozer
4. Darryn Peterson
5. Kingston Flemings
6. Darius Acuff
7. Yaxel Lendeborg
8. Keaton Wagler
9. Labaron Philon
10. Karim Lopez
1. Caleb Wilson
2. AJ Dybantsa
3. Cameron Boozer
4. Darryn Peterson
5. Kingston Flemings
6. Darius Acuff
7. Yaxel Lendeborg
8. Keaton Wagler
9. Labaron Philon
10. Karim Lopez
bajaden
Hall of Famer
I have Fleming at fivc with Acuff knocking on the door. I have it by the way from someone that's seen Fleming up close and personal, that he's a legit 6'4" and might be more than that.
