Pacers Taking Acuff Could Provide Haliburton Insurance

There are incredible talents in this year’s draft. AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Caleb Wilson and Cam Boozer to name a few. All of them deserve some strong consideration. Acuff belongs right there with them in the conversation. He is as poised as a leader as any freshman that I have ever seen. He carries himself with quiet confidence that the entire team feeds off.

The Numbers

Acuff averages 22 ppg, 3 reb, and 6.2 ast while shooting 42.9% from the 3-point line. These numbers are outstanding for translating to the NBA level. He isn’t just an outside player either. He plays extremely well getting to the cup. He averages 5.2 free throws per game. He is shooting 79.3% from the stripe. This will improve at the next level. He falls back on his free throws instead of staying on the line. Acuff boasts a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Acuff played the 5th most minutes of any player in the country. He is 12th in the country in 3-point percentage. There is no better shooting point guard in the country by percentage. Acuff is one of the best conductors of offense in the country. He is 8th in the country in assists per 40 minutes. He is 4th in the country in offensive win shares. He is 6th in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio.

The Evaluation

Darius Acuff is 6’3”, 190 lbs but is strong as an ox. He is an ultra-physical point guard. This shows up defensively at the point of attack. He can really get after it. His strength shows up in multiple ways. He gets into defenders’ bodies when he is dribbling, and they just bounce off him. He buries bigger players under the rim, then floats it home. It also shows when he is getting trapped or pressured. If he gets a shoulder on the outside of the trap he is gone. It is almost impossible to trap him.

His basketball IQ is off the charts. He is an amazing conductor of offense and knows who to feed the ball to and when. He also knows when to call his own number. I have always said a good point guard gives the team exactly what it needs when it needs it. He is the embodiment of that. He uses his off arm like an NBA vet. He will grab and trap defenders’ arms while he is dribbling all in one motion, freezing them while he races to the rim.

Acuff’s passing ability is second to none. He sees the help defense prior to them coming over, allowing him to make pinpoint passes to wide-open teammates. This can be in the PNR, dribble drive or transition game.

He is a true three-level scorer. He can beat you on ball or off ball. He excels at catch-and-shoots off floppy actions or brush screens. He can beat you off the bounce and get to the cup. He has an excellent mid-range pull-up jumper game. He can shoot the three at a high percentage standing still or off the bounce. He has a variety of floaters and finishes around the rim.

His biggest weakness is defensively off ball and on-ball screen navigation. He is very quick but lacks fluidity in his hips to swivel around screens. He has improved in this area but still gets picked off sometimes. He can also get buried when switching onto bigger players due to his size. This is mainly centers and larger power forwards. He stands everyone else up with his strength and quick hands.