ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins doesn’t do subtle. During the NBA Draft broadcast from Barclays Center, he pulled up tape of Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff Jr. and basically told everyone watching they were sleeping on the best point guard in the class. Not the second best. Not a sleeper. The best.
Perkins had Acuff right there on set, and he didn’t hold back. He talked about the kid’s three-level scoring, his ability to create off the dribble, and that midrange game that already feels NBA-ready. Acuff is listed at 6’2″, but Perkins made it sound like height doesn’t matter when you can get a bucket like this.
The Tape Doesn’t Lie
Perkins walked through clips like a coach breaking down film for his guys. He pointed to Acuff’s vision, the snake action getting downhill, the way he finishes through contact. It wasn’t just hype. He was making a case.
“Elite vision, one of the best point guards in the game of basketball,” Perkins said. “Check this out. The snake action. Get downhill and one. Listen, bro, I had to remind you why you were the SEC Player of the Year. I got to remind the world why this man, to me, is the best point guard in this year’s draft.”
He also mentioned that GMs have been calling him, asking if he really believed what he was saying about Acuff. Perkins said he told them the kid finished the job. That’s a heavy endorsement from a guy who played 14 years in the league.
The Numbers Back Up the Talk
Acuff only played one season at Arkansas, but it was loud. Through 36 games, he averaged 23.5 points, 6.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds. He shot 48.4 percent from the field and 44 percent from three on nearly six attempts per game. Those are monster numbers for a freshman in the SEC.
That kind of efficiency combined with volume is rare. It’s the kind of season that makes scouts forget about a guy’s height and start talking about his game. And Perkins is betting that translates immediately to the NBA.
Whether Acuff goes in the lottery or slips a bit, Perkins made sure the basketball world heard his take. And honestly, the tape does most of the work for him.
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