Darius Acuff should be a top-three pick, but some NBA draft experts think he could fall out of the top five. One reason trumps everything else.
Darius Acuff of Arkansas basketball has the talent of a top-three NBA draft pick. He is a complete offensive player with few to no weaknesses. For a college freshman, his game is well-rounded and extensively developed. He scores from every spot on the floor and can win in different ways. Why would his NBA draft stock fall? It's not complicated. Stephen Noh of The Sporting News explains:
"Nobody is doubting that Acuff is going to be a great offensive weapon. But can he survive defensively in the NBA? He's a small guard who is going to be targeted constantly. Those types of players are being phased out more and more.
"Acuff doesn't need to be a plus defender, or even an average one. He does need to be tough and show some care factor though in order to make up for his physical limitations. At Arkansas, he's done the opposite. He gives almost zero effort on or off the ball. He's bad at getting around screens, oftentimes giving up completely on plays. He switches assignments seemingly randomly, confusing his teammates and breaking down his team's defensive schemes. And he can't stay in front of anyone.
"How many of those defensive warts are from the offensive load that he had to carry for a shallow roster at Arkansas? How much did a nagging ankle injury suffered in February affect his mobility? Are his issues fixable? Those are the questions that teams are asking themselves.
"If this were 10 years ago, Acuff would be a no-brainer top-five pick that you'd hand the keys of an offense to. The NBA has changed though. Despite fans thinking there is no defense played, the rotations are in reality extremely high level. One weak link can sabotage a possession.
"Acuff is going to be that weak link. He needs to be a top 10 offensive player in the league to make up for how bad he projects to be on the other end of the floor."
The analysis is harsh but fair. Notably, the reality of Arkansas' not-very-deep roster points to Acuff having to log extended minutes and be the guy on offense virtually every night. Energy conservation was certainly part of Acuff's plan and mindset. Investing fully in defense is something every player should do, but Acuff being on the floor for major minutes forced him to make some concessions and accept certain limitations. Given how the totality of Arkansas' season unfolded, can we really say Acuff made a bad calculation? It doesn't seem like it. Put Acuff in the right situation, and he's going to be an effective NBA player.