After a second straight disappointing lottery result dropped the Nets three spots, this pick is viewed around the league as a potential wild-card spot, with Brooklyn needing star power and still developing young players at every position after rostering five first-rounders a year ago. What direction the Nets wind up going might offer insight into how they view their current prospects. They also have cap space and a supply of tradable future firsts at their disposal. Acuff Jr. doesn’t fit Brooklyn’s established positional-size philosophy, but he has a best-available case if this is how the board falls. It’s not viewed as a given that the Nets select a guard, however, and they could find value in trading back.
Acuff was helped by his combine measurements, standing 6-2 barefoot with a plus-4 ½ wingspan. While still on the smaller side, those dimensions are solid for a starting point guard, and his sturdy build should help him keep up with NBA physicality. None of that assuages the concerns around his poor defense, but his offensive bona fides vaulted him into this range of the draft and will keep him there. The Kings at No. 7 are viewed by rival teams as Acuff’s floor: Sacramento needs a point guard, and there are existing connections, including the fact that GM Scott Perry coached Acuff’s father at Eastern Kentucky.