Brooklyn's highest draft position since 2010 offers a chance to secure franchise-altering talent. High-scoring guards Darius Acuff Jr. and Kingston Flemings emerge as elite, polished potential cornerstones.
Although the Brooklyn Nets didn't cash in on their NBA-best 14.5-percent odds at the No. 1 overall pick, their sixth draft position marks the franchise's highest since 2010.
In this year's class, depth and talent is certainly not an issue, as the players in the back half of the lottery are potential franchise-altering prospects.
Recently, we at NetsRoundtable have highlighted some of these prospects, including Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings, and Mikel Brown Jr.
Of these similarly mocked freshmen guards, Acuff and Flemings are the most likely options, as they both set program records and project as instant difference makers in the league.
Ironically, in The Athletic's most recent pre-lottery mock draft, Sam Vecenie projected the Nets landing at No. 6 and selecting the dynamic Acuff.
"Acuff earned first-team All-America status by dominating games down the stretch. Over his final 13 games, he averaged an absurd 28 points per game and 6.7 assists while getting to the line 7.5 times per game," Vecenie wrote. "He was efficient and sharp, shooting 48 percent from the field and over 40 percent from 3."
Acuff is the latest highly regarded prospect to enter the draft after playing under head coach John Calipari, who has tutored elite guards like John Wall, Jamal Murray and De'Aaron Fox.
However, Vecenie believes that Acuff may be poised to be better than each of Calipari's previous successes.
"Acuff might be the most polished freshman guard prospect I’ve ever evaluated. His footwork and balance are pristine, and he tends to make efficient decisions," Vecenie wrote."He plays off two feet and moves well without the ball to set up his on-ball moves. His passes are always crisp and on-target, even if his vision isn’t always elite."
Acuff would instantly become the Nets best scorer in the backcourt, either playing as a lead guard or alongside the young and developing Egor Demin.
Flemings, similar to Acuff, took the reigns of a well-coached, established program, and dominated.
The standout Texas high schooler ended up choosing Houston over Texas Tech, with he and his family emphasizing head coach Kelvin Sampson's culture and vision for the top-25 recruit.
Flemings was statistically, perhaps the best freshman in Houston history, setting freshman program records for points (594) and assists (192).
Flemings led the Cougars in 20-plus point performances, eclipsing 20 on 12 occasions and was named unanimous first-team All-Big 12 selection, doing so in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball.
Unlike Acuff, Flemings is a very capable defender, using his athleticism to beat offensive players to the spot and shut down driving lanes.
Flemings would bring intensity and explosive scoring to Brooklyn, while coming from one of the toughest and most highly-touted cultures in college basketball.
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