Kings rookie Darius Acuff was showing off his ELITE offensive bag at Rico Hines basketball runs via ballislife
These headlines are so over the top lmfao.
Nephews be like ElItE oFfEnSiVe BaG
Perfect for those who watch basketball exclusively off of IG reels
Bag work
unfortunately, this is a situation where his offensive bag legitimately is elite though.
Acuff is an elite offensive talent, but him playing pick-up ball and doing moves that any NBA guard could do isn’t an example of that. Watch any NBA players pickup ball highlights and they’ll look insane.
i never said that he showcased 100% of his offensive talent in this clip. i was saying that, in general, he is an elite offensive player. the same thing you’re saying.
also, this is not just average pickup ball you’re playing at the local rec center. you have to be invited to these runs, so being able to pull off certain moves against literal pros/grown men will always be difficult.
Is it? It looks like a very good player doing pick up basketball against lesser competition. In this kind of context I only really think of like KD at ruckers as being obviously elite. This is nice don’t get me wrong, just a bit hyperbolic is all
this isn’t ruckers.
Didn’t say it was
Yes do your homework on him, if there anything he has, it’s a bag
Ok but does he show it in this video?
I mean yeah, a bag isn’t just spamming dribble moves. It’s being able to generate space and toy with your food with ease. He is doing that, he has that Kyrie-like element to his game where he has incredible balance, timing and touch to make things look easy…that’s why he was able to be arguably the best offensive player in college ball last year.
A top 10 pick has a bag? Shocking. I won’t do homework on him but I’ll watch him in some games this season and I’ll hope the best for him
I’m not sure what the point of this comment was? You admit you don’t know anything about him but still felt the need to be sassy on the way out? 😂 yes a guy under 6’4” who was able to be the most dominant offensive player in college basketball this year has a bag…an effortless offensive game while being undersized is pretty much the definition of having a bag.
He’s playing against relative scrubs (guys who would kick my ass, mind you, but not his).
these are professional basketball players who were chosen to be at the run for a reason.
What was elite about it in these clips?
have you ever done a spin move? if so, do you know how to do so with an incoming double team? with two professional basketball players guarding you? what about when both of them are older and more experienced than you? if you can still stay composed, get to your spots, and get a bucket, i don’t see how that isn’t elite. especially not at such a relatively young age.
Lol yes I’ve done a “Barrel Roll”. I actually play basketball. I’m not saying he’s not going to be a good player. But there was nothing in the clips that screamed “elite”. A lot of the moves were repeated over and over again.
It’s frustrating because he was 13-33 in the game, but all yall see are the makes.
For real, I’m like this is like some of the most basic moves an NBA player can do. If he couldn’t do any of this he wouldn’t be in the lottery.
yeah my buddy’s highlights get way overblown too
How is it over the top?
I bet that most PGs in the league can do most of this stuff in a Rico Hines run. It’s good, but like… let’s save the ELITE OFFENSIVE BAG stuff for when he does this consistently in real games.
Everyone loves a self deprecating fan, be a wet rag on your players before others can 😂
… cmon man. Do you blame me? I’ve bought into offseason hype videos and been burned before. I’m guarding my heart!
This is the kind of honesty I come to r/nba for
lol yes I blame you, be unapologetic in hyping your guys. Don’t let people make you feel bad about Acuff, he is a dog, he will be a beast for you guys.
Being a fan shouldn’t mean acting stupid online, you’re allowed to have takes grounded in reality. Doubly true for Kings fans.
lol there is nothing stupid about enjoying clips of your stud rookie showing off his scoring ability. You’re so afraid of being bullied on this sub that you’re terrified of being positive.
Man up, don’t let people bully you to the point you’re afraid to support your team.
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lol every time someone says some sassy shit like “you must be ____” it’s never close to being accurate.
I’m very much older than 30, although I’m not sure what the correlation is between being under 30 and having hope? Weird thing to say.
If clips like this mattered then Ben Simmons wouldn’t have spent the past season on a different continent, has nothing to do with bullying to ignore hype on principle
Nice strawman argument….we aren’t talking about writing a dissertation of how his career will go based on some rico hines clips…it’s just about enjoying your own player damn lol why are you so afraid to say anything positive about your players?
You keep saying things like “doubly true for Kings fans” and “ignore hype on principle”….and that’s what I’m trying to point out, supporting a sports team doesn’t need to be some shameful, traumatic thing…you carry yourself like a beaten dog 😂 Jesus Christ
Lmao aye aye, Captain!
You’re a little slow and that’s ok
Brother you don’t need to insult me because I disagree.
Nothing there was indicative of elite offensive talent. More just stuff that most solid offensive guards can do when they play pick up games. His handle even looked a little sloppy at times (high bounces), and he wasn’t exactly getting to the hole at will. I also didn’t see any explosive athleticism (for an NBA player).
It’s actually crazy how many times he carries in this video
That’s nba in general lol
Ah rico Hines runs. It’s THAT part of summer
Just in time with the Ben Simmons making 3s and Zion losing weight
Bah gawd thats Hoodie Melo’s music
trae young looking like a top 5 pg in the league
Trae catching strays lols pewpew
What about the baby mamas?
Luka is now a Mens Health cover athlete
Aka the final stretch
You already know
2k better be good enough to hold over this break
He is taking a lot of tough pull up jumpers for a rico Hines run. He should be at the rim every time
I was wondering if it’d was going to happen this year, were pretty late in August
Rico Hines runs means we’re nearing the tail end of summer. When Zion gains weight again is when training camps are around the corner. Ben Simmons workout mixtape kicks off the summer.
The palming by these young dudes is insane
It’s just what it is now. No such thing as a carry violation anymore.
That’s not true. Refs are mandated to call it once a month on Poole.
As god intended
Maxey got hit with one last year… maybe Poole was hurt before the refs could make their quota.
I mean I know people been saying that for a bit and all, but some of the ones in this clip are a literal felony theyre so bad lmao
Was thinking the same thing. You cannot defend someone who carries it like that 😡
Yeah I mean I’m a reasonable man, but his hand was directly under the ball at various points. Juking is a lot easier when you’re just walking around carrying the ball.
Not that he isnt super talented. He is. But you can’t help noticing the ball handling.
What point are you guys making? It’s allowed in the NBA so he’ll be doing it just like a lot of the best players.
I guess I’d say it like this
You know when you watch Shai play? How he takes the letter of the law to the extreme and gets calls via deliberate exploitation of the rules? Doing things that are allowed in the NBA, and indeed things that are also done by other players, but doing those things more frequently and more egregiously? This feels like that to me.
Yes the rules are not enforced as strictly as they used to be, but this clip just feels like he takes carrying to its absolute limit.
In both cases, it’s a totally valid strategy and it was only a matter of time before it was taken to the extreme.
I wish something were actually done about it though, the flopping and carrying. As a viewer and hooper i feel more connected to the gamr im watching when there are more similarities to the game im playing, but maybe thats just me
Yup. You just hesi and palm the ball and you have a solid second to read the defenders reaction. How can you defend someone who doesn’t have to dribble? Its like a cornerback defender a wide receiver but you can’t tackle him haha
That’s the point. NBA trying to make the league higher octane offense and softer on defense to get/keep casual fans happy.
Lebron does this shit and he’s the oldest player in the league
Usually I feel like it’s way overblown but why does it look like this guy can barely dribble without doing it
Because he’s running at half speed and nobody gives AF about dribbling violations at these things.
How you practice is how you play
Came here to say the same. It’s completely on the underside of the ball now, not even the side. I remember playing ball and having to learn the spin of my hand to go through my own legs into the same hand.
We would get called all the time for carrying
If the NBA would start calling carry/palming, seventy percent of the guards wouldn’t have a go-to move off the dribble.
I was gonna say. Like it’d be different if it was way quicker/smoother, but the pause is just so telling
Yeah, it’s a skill now how to make it AS IF you are still dribbling. Everybody does it, Steph, Luka, Kyrie. Otherwise they would be at a disadvantage.
Lol fax is they get away with
He’s super smooth but a lot of travelling and palming. But I guess that’s the game today
I mostly like how hes not focusing on the defender in front of him, he’s focusing on getting to his spot. Something guys like KD & Kyrie have mastered.
Outside of that, it’s a summer run video lol. Ben Simmons is like Larry Bird on steroids in his
So many of these moves should be a travel, but that’s the modern game 🤷
Fr. Hand directly under the ball. They are already so skilled. Defense in the modern NBA is so hard.
Where’s he traveling
He’s not
Kings got their future starting lineup going against accountants at the 24 hour fitness
Lol
Plumbers at the gym after a 12 hour shift.
The issue with Acuff has never been offense. Its defense.
His offense was a bit rough during Summer League, so honestly this is kinda nice to see.
I mean the shot is falling but he isn’t creating much separation here. But its probably because this is a practise run… so he is probbaly going slow mode
also the dude guarding him looks 5’10
No doubt. But check his summer league shooting splits. The shot was not falling at all for him in Vegas.
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Hopefully.
Reminds me of a smaller Jalen Green
Nice carries. This ain’t nothing special
His hand is literally under the ball on multiple occasions just in this short clip
Literally carrying every dribble; check out his ELEET BAG!
Washed john wall also cooked at Rico Hines runs 3 yrs ago
I really wish the nba would crack down on carries like this, this is crazy, it’s almost every possession his hand is fully under the ball it is clearly helping him control the ball
He keeps Acuffing the ball
I’m an Acuff fan but def some carrying in this video.
Glad I scrolled down to see others saying the same. Always call it out, shit shouldn’t be this way
He smooth wit it for sureeee
Possession starting at 0:35 left in the video is disgusting (in a bad way). He carries the ball 3 separate times, and is just egregious traveling.
It’s a good thing they don’t call traveling in the NBA.
Bro is tuff as hell
Show the defense
I kind of miss actual dribbling rules.
Can we watch something interesting like noa essengue workouts ?
Cam thomas got an offensive bag too
Uh, where’s this “elite”?
Egregious carries
Man, this guy is nice. I don’t care if he’s at the YMCA, look at this dude.
Allen Iverson regen?
Smoooove with some good patience
I think that’s Jaylen Petty guarding him (Texas Tech guard going to be a sophomore) he’s undersized but he’s a dog with a big motor. Impressive stuff from Acuff
Being able to play like this must be so much fucking fun
Is it a requirement to wear your NBA teams gear in some capacity?
ELITE is Hoodie Melo level performances, not this bro
Elite defender
With AK in the house.
Things are looking a little too bright over in sac town 🤔
Fun to watch, but using this for analysis of his bag is about as useful as a Ben Simmons offseason video of his new jumper.
https://i.imgur.com/Q2Idia5.png
Why does he flutter kick his right leg upwards after shooting?
Who he play for??
I can’t believe I was just watching this kid hoop at the gym. He’s gonna be so nice
Saw him in the NCAA tournament and this video confirms it, he always drives to the right! Will this be available in the league? I suspect a rough transition to the NBA, but wish him luck.
I really hope the Kings don’t “Kangz” it up again and fuck up with another young guard! Just let this man cook! Set him up to develop well throughout his rookie deal! Plz plz plz 🙏🏼
The NBA should just get rid of the traveling violation. Just make dribbling optional.
Dat swamp ass with :18 seconds remaining is crazy
man I want him to be good, such a cool and fun player
Clean jumper cute corn rows 🤤
if by elite you mean any college level guard then yes
His bag doesn’t look like it includes going left and he carries like a mfer
That defense looks like shit.
Now that’s a walking 18 ppg on 38% TS
This is where he will shine. No defense, all 1-1, lose and fast. Scoot would put up 50 here
Blue shirt just got rubbed off on every single screen.
Kyrie-like
💼 work
shot looks like drose and his center of gravity feels like drose as well. kinda interesting to look at.
Could be wrong but it looks to me like Acuff’s best chance for success is going to be as a game manager and play maker for others. True pg style. I dont see him being an elite scorer at the nba level.
I don’t think the word “elite” means what you think it means…
Is ball carrying not a thing anymore in basketball?
Against amateurs, and college guys, he’s amazing!
NBA players are so good that they’ll cook anyone they face. But when facing other NBA competition, the struggle becomes real. There are definitely levels to this shit.
This dude is going to get destroyed.
I rmb when Ben McLemore was hyped before his rookie season started everyone tot he gonna be next ray Allen/kobe
He’s definitely nice with it.
Yeah, but how many three pointers in the rain can he make in a row like Stauskas? ;)
The next Trae Young, all O
Damn
Saw a post of Kyrie saying he’s cut from a different cloth and thought to myself Acuff cut from that same cloth
Deron Williams vibes
Despite on the negative comments, my man’s looks smooth with the handle fr. I’m curious to see how he plays in Sacramento
Dude in turqoise shirt getting cooked, lol
Trey young
Every single person in the NBA has an elite bag…. The difference is just that the most elite can use that bag against other elite players, not just at a random gym on a Thursday
God it’s the kings who cares
Idk who those 🐈⬛ are/were….but young fella looked to be giving them that work!
not tryna be a hater bc i love watching his highlights but he plays like a 6’6 guard when hes only 6’2. is he getting these shots off in the league?
I’m confused with all the carrying talk… has anybody watched the NBA for the last 30 years???
I think it’s the camera angle. I think most of these moves would look normal on TV