2026 NBA draft thread

[Winter]

Slightly Biased put out a video recently that kind of encapsulates how I feel about Acuff.

Part way through this he asks if someone came back from the future and gave you the choice of drafting Lillard or Derrick White, which would you take?  Obviously Lillard, especially if you are a team with a need for an offensive catalyst.  But, Portland was never good enough defensively to go places in the playoffs.  Whereas players like White and Jrue (combo guards with high-IQ’s and good advanced stats) have contributed to championships.  Sizzle or Substance.  With Flagg here, I probably go substance.  

I’m not sure who he meant when he brought up Derrick White, but Burries gets compared to him a bit.  I like Burries.  I’m not positive I take him at 7 or 8, but the comparison brings out something else about Acuff.  If he’s your guy, you have to surround him in a certain way to be a championship contender.  There can’t be any other defensive holes when he’s on the court.  But, someone like Burries is much easier to build around.  The offensive upside may not be as great, but he has no visible weaknesses that you have to offset.  Building a team around him and Flagg would be pretty easy IMHO.  Building an offensive juggernaut around Acuff and Flagg would be easier, but as good as Flagg is, the standard should be higher.

  https://youtu.be/EI-H0YrAEBQ?si=XAKPBFhEOB5rUL2B

I think the other part of this is that Acuff may very well have supplanted Flemings as the top true PG in the draft. In which case, he's likely gone when the Mavs pick. We may see a variety of options now. You could see a draft discussion that includes Flemings, Wagler, Ament, or Burries - and if Burries has a good run in the tournament, it's not a stretch where the Mavs pick in my opinion. Or you could trade down for him.

All of these players are still playing in the tournament.