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Why Kings GM Scott Perry isn’t worried about Darius Acuff Jr.’s defense originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Programming note: Kings Draft Review with Deuce Mason debuts at 4 p.m. PT on Sunday on NBC Sports California.
When the Kings drafted Darius Acuff Jr. with the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, they were selecting a point guard with a knack for finding the open man and an offensive ability among the best in the nation.
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However, the one detractor that many media outlets mentioned was his lack of defense and defensive effort. It was such a notable disadvantage for the 19-year-old that Arkansas’ coach John Calipari came out to defend his former player, stating, “He was such a good scorer, I didn’t give a s–t about his defense.”
Sacramento general manager Scott Perry, on the other hand, believes the team will see a more motivated Acuff on the defensive end come 2026-27.
“What we bank on and what I know he has inside of him is that competitive nature,” Perry told NBC Sports California’s Deuce Mason. “He will not want to be the weak link defensively for a team. That’s just how he’s wired.”
As for why Perry believes Acuff can hold his own on that side of the basketball court, he mentions the first-round selections figure.
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“He’s got great length for a guy that’s 6’2, 6’3,” Perry said. “He’s very strong and he’s very good laterally. You see what he does offensively; he can move laterally defensively when he needs to. So now what he’ll quickly learn and understand, at this level, the guys he’s playing against night in and night out he has to get better.”
One word that came up multiple times during the Kings’ rookie introductory press conference from Acuff and Perry was the word “conditioning,” and that seems to be another strategy the general manager is leaning into.
“When you talk about playing an NBA game, the better conditioned you are and you’re not worried about getting tired, the better he’s going to be at both ends of the floor and that’s just a fact,” Perry told Mason. “That’s really going to be the key to unlocking…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/why-kings-gm-scott-perry-161455697.html
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Publish date : 2026-07-05 16:14:00
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