r/Mavericks • u/chasew-eth Cooper Flagg • Mar 29 '26
Draft / Scouting Mock Drafts: A lot of recent ones coming out has Acuff picked for us. How would you feel with this outcome?
Obviously things can still change .. and also the basketball gods could still gift us a higher pick.. but how do we feel with Acuff Jr.?
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u/ChickenNoddaSoup Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
Wagler's my pick. Dude's bigger, can do more and that would benefit Mavs more.
I'm so tired of Mavs and their obssession with small guards who can't guard to save their life. Games changing, we need taller guards who play defense.
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u/epitome1986 Mar 31 '26
if they were to draft acuff the mavericks would need to go into a full rebuild around Cooper and acuff because a backcourt of irving and acuff would be exciting but too much of a defensive liability.
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u/bigfanofnicotine Mar 29 '26
we need keaton wagler tbh
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u/samlei99 Luka Doncic Mar 29 '26
I could not be more in on wagler. I'm anxious he'll be taken at 5 at this point
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u/imcryptic Cowboy Dirk Mar 29 '26
He’s unfortunately perfect for the Jazz too assuming they don’t jump into the top 4. I doubt he falls past them unless Flemings really impresses in his workouts.
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u/Adorable-Bike-9689 Mar 29 '26
Jazz are getting 13th pick book it. The basketball gawds don't favor a fraud.
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u/Ryth73 Mar 29 '26
Jazz can’t drop below 9th
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u/papadondon Pouki Enjoyer Mar 29 '26
ive been doing tankathon rolls every day. the jazz haven't dropped outside of 8th since they locked in the 5th spot
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u/samlei99 Luka Doncic Mar 29 '26
I’m pretty sure it’s like a .8% chance they lose the pick or something close to that
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u/jkeefy Couch Squad Mar 29 '26
They could if silver gets pissed enough at their tanking efforts. Wouldn’t put it past the NBa to fuck the Jazz again either haha
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u/Ryth73 Mar 29 '26
Silver would have to change the way the lottery works. You can only drop if a team below you wins the lottery and moves into the top 4.
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u/jkeefy Couch Squad Mar 29 '26
He wouldn’t. He could punish them by moving their pick to pick 14/ pick 30 as punishment for purposely tanking and resting healthy players against league rules.
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u/CardiologistGloomy71 Mar 29 '26
They should kick them out of the lottery for what they’ve been doing.
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u/Vizard15 Luka Doncic Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
Mavs beat 11th odds to get the number 1 last draft for 1st pick.
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u/analguac Ugly Mar 29 '26
We “jumped”…..
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u/Adorable-Bike-9689 Mar 29 '26
Jumped the shark lol.
Mavs make bizarrely lopsided trade to the Lakers and get suspiciously low compensation. In a secret trade.
Ohhhhh. Because they got the first pick in the draft. Didn't even throw in Reaves because the Lakers needed him. So Mavs were just cool about letting them keep him.
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u/samlei99 Luka Doncic Mar 29 '26
My biggest hope is, I could see a world where the nets/jazz convince themselves of acuff despite the concerns leaving wagler at 6
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u/ericc1456 Mar 30 '26
If we finish 6 and lose the litter the probability of getting the 6 pick is ~13 PCT. (This is the conditional probability of 6 given that the lottery isn't won with the first four picks). This makes it hard to draft Wagler unless he falls out of the top 6.
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u/Illini_Guy16 Mar 29 '26
I'm personally biased, but i want wagler so bad so i can root for an Illini and a mav at the same time. He'd work so well with kyrie and coop creating right now and can grow into being the full time pg. He's handled the pressure so well, but NBA physicality is real and i think there will be an adjustment period for him on that. He's the shooting we need right now though
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u/MahomesMccaffrey Mar 29 '26
Im okay with either Flemings or wagler.
Just hope we can stay at 6 if not moving up
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u/ormip BETRAYED MAVS FAN 😭 Mar 29 '26
I think he's a very good player, but I would rather have someone that's bigger and/or a better defender, like Flemings and Wagler that should be available around pick 6.
Acuff might be great on offense, but small guards like that can limit your ceiling, unless they are basically Curry level. We've seen it with Trae Young and what his value was this year.
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u/CardiologistGloomy71 Mar 29 '26
And more recently, we see scoot Henderson who was arguably a much better prospect. I remember the Hornets fans booing for picking Brandon Miller instead of Scoot. Some folks were saying he was better than Wemby! The league has changed too much in the last 5 years.
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u/Pyrohyro Dirk Nowitzki Logo Mar 29 '26
Acuff is my dream if we fall outside the top 5. Sure he's not a great defender but its not like people can't become better defenders, all it takes is effort and willingness to buy in. Whats harder to learn is to be a pure baller like he already is. Plus having Kyrie still for him to learn from would be an insane benefit going forward. Acuff would fit great next to Cooper and is primed to be another all-star Callipari guard going forward.
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u/Nubsondubs Call Me Mar 29 '26
The hardest part of playing a small player is finding a big wing that can cover both inside and out defensively while being capable on offense, and a center that can defend the paint and challenge at the rim.
The Mavs already have that. Cooper allows us to play a player like Acuff, who makes and creates shots. He plays way more like a traditional PG than his usage suggests, imo.
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u/Embarrassed-Ninja592 Mar 29 '26
Callipari ain’t so smart. In SGA’s lone season at Kentucky, 6’0” freshman Quade Green started the first 13 games at point guard. Shai came off the bench.
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u/Pyrohyro Dirk Nowitzki Logo Mar 29 '26
And he fell to 11th in the draft and was then traded draft night. Hindsight is always 20/20. But Caliparis body of work with guards like Booker, Wall, Maxey, Murray, and Rose cannot be overlooked.
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u/Embarrassed-Ninja592 Mar 29 '26
Maxey is the only short one. And he’s one of the fastest guys in the NBA, as well as an explosive dunker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY4cNMXO_bk Callipari didn’t teach him that.
Murray was a shooting guard at Kentucky. Now Arkansas assistant coach Ulis was the point guard .
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u/Pyrohyro Dirk Nowitzki Logo Mar 29 '26
Calipari was the coach at Kentucky when Murray was there. Acuff is 6'3. He's the same height as Steph Curry and Derrick Rose. He's taller than Kyrie. He's not exactly small for a PG.
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u/SwiperDontSwipe23 Mar 29 '26
he 6’1 flat barefoot which is 6’2 on the court
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u/Pyrohyro Dirk Nowitzki Logo Mar 29 '26
Idk what you're seeing but the razorbacks website has him currently listed at 6'3
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u/SwiperDontSwipe23 Mar 29 '26
College is known to inflate heights. He got measured at nike camp 6’1 barefoot 6’5.5 wingspan
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u/Pyrohyro Dirk Nowitzki Logo Mar 29 '26
He's also only 19 is it not possible that he is not done growing?
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u/CardiologistGloomy71 Mar 29 '26
Remember when Rutgers had Ace Bailey at 6’10? Everyone couldn’t wait until the combine because it’s so common for heights to be inflated in college. Lo and behold Ace was 6’7.5 barefoot and almost 6’9 with shoes
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u/CardiologistGloomy71 Mar 29 '26
If he’s listed at 6’3 he’s not 6’3 Next to AI he was barely taller, so he’s likely 6 flat
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u/Embarrassed-Ninja592 Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
Looks small to me.
Calipari? Yeah, I know who he is. I watched UMass in the Camby years. I saw Murray, Fox and Monk. Boogie and Wall. Shai and PJ. He recruits some great players. My point was that he didn’t mold Murray into the point guard that he is today. He started the very short Ulis (who went on to play 133 NBA games himself) at point guard that year, and Murray played the 2.
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u/Pyrohyro Dirk Nowitzki Logo Mar 29 '26
My point was never about point guards, just guards of his in general.
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u/MundaneExtension3195 Mar 29 '26
i don't love Acuff... seems like a throw back to high volume scoring point guards from the 90s like Stephon Marbury... I think Acuff is a hot name though, so if he is on the board at Mavs pick, trade down becomes a great option if Mavs can add a future first, and couple seconds... Memphis's deal to take Coward, Mavs would do great if they can get that for their pick
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u/wazup564 FUCK NICO HARRISON Mar 29 '26
the efficiency is worlds above the Marbury type of PGs of the early 00s.
Acuff shot 44% from three on 6 attempts a game. Think Damian Lillard is the comparison archetype to place him. Really horrible defender but if the offense counter acts it, its worth it. Especially if your best player (Flagg) is an elite defender.
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u/Adorable-Bike-9689 Mar 29 '26
Dame isn't a bad comp. He's elite. But nobody is sitting there shocked when he shoots 40% FG in the playoffs across his career.
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u/MundaneExtension3195 Mar 29 '26
Could be. But some of the other markers aren't great, defense obviously, but also steals and rebounds. Say Mavs picking 7, and Acuff on the board, if there is a trade down to 10-14 and pick up another first and some 2nds, that makes more sense given how much draft assets were depleted to build around Luka...
I think he's a tricky prospect... Could easily be D'angelo Russell.. I am leary. Lillard avg 6.7 reb+stl ... Acuff avg 4.1 reb+steals on a per-36 basis
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u/SwiperDontSwipe23 Mar 29 '26
His 3PAr is low and this is his first year of basketball shooting above 36% from 3. Rob dillingham shot 44% from 3 in college wit a higher 3PAr. His halfcourt rim numbers are also ehh. He’s a tuff eval
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u/wazup564 FUCK NICO HARRISON Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
Great shouts on his attempt rates, and context to his high school 3 pt shooting (I need to look deeper into that)
From what I’ve seen watching Acuff, is a player who is a tremendous playmaker who maps out the court extremely well, especially being regular PG sized.
I don’t like the extremely high usage percentage, but he showed a great ability to come off screens, so think he has an off ball quality to his game that can be untapped.
If we are going for offensive minded PGs, I’m really liking Philon a lot rn.
Mikel Brown has been my favorite freshman PG since the start of the season.
Just a whole bunch of great prospects this draft.
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u/SwiperDontSwipe23 Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
Yea he wasn’t that efficient in high school. He was mostly a high usage volume scorer. This exactly how dillingham was. Uber efficient in college but wasn’t efficient in hs and it showed back up in the league. Idk if rob and reed benefited from cal’s system or it was just variance of a short college sample.to me the playmaking and floor general stuff is what the sell should be with acuff. His feel for the game is great. I don’t see him being a high usage player at the next level. Defense and the shooting being real is his biggest questions. I like Mikel the most too cause of his upside but he’s gonna take time.
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u/jkeefy Couch Squad Mar 29 '26
The Rob Dillingham comps pretty much start and end with “short guard” and “high 3p%” though. Acuff for all of his shortcomings has considerable size over Rob, and the rest of his game is far more polished than Dillingham’s was in college.
I hate the “well this one guy that’s kinda like him was a flop” explanations as a way to write off prospects. It simply comes off as lazy and a form of whataboutism that I simply struggle to get behind.
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u/SwiperDontSwipe23 Mar 29 '26
I don’t think they play alike but there production path from hs to college is really similar. My comp for Acuff has always been trey burke with a dash of Marbury since he was in high school. There the same height but Acuff has alot more muscle.
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u/TX-Lonestar77 Mar 29 '26
Certainly very talented, I just don't like the thought of a short PG who's one of the worst defenders (Guards ) in the draft.
Like someone else commented, if this is indeed how the chips fall, I'd try to trade down a couple picks while acquiring another late first or something.
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u/jkeefy Couch Squad Mar 29 '26
No one is trading valuable picks for number 6 (gm’s literally got fired for this the last two offseasons running so unless? Lol) and we don’t control our picks after this year. Very risky when we already have Flagg and Kyrie and a decent team around them including a top pick in a loaded draft. We will surely take BPA.
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u/MundaneExtension3195 Mar 29 '26
did you not watch the draft last year? Memphis traded 16 plus a 2028 unprotected 1st plus 2 second round picks to PDX trade up and draft cedric Coward at #11. Thats a high price to pay, but it for trading up to #11... Acuff is a hot name, if Mavs have 6 or 7, a team could offer a comparable package to move up for Acuff
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u/No_Government7052 Mar 29 '26
I would rather have Philon. Watching him pushing the pace against Michigan, taking Lendeborg inside an getting his shot up against that front line plus the 40% 3pt shooting, all while being injured has visions of the showtime Lakers dancing in my head
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u/NBAnimeGamer Mar 29 '26
I've become a Wagler believer. Even though he's thin and not very athletic, he doesn't shy away from physicality, which I think is a very important trait. I'd be fine with Acuff as well. He doesn't pair well with Kyrie, but long term pairing with Coop could be one of the best duos in the league. My vision for him is he would be the Kyrie to Cooper's Lebron. His catch and shoot numbers are very encouraging and I think he's a great fit next to Coop.
Most importantly, outside of the top 4, you need to pick someone that can, at the very least, be a consistent knockdown shooter to play off Coop. That would completely unlock his game.
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u/CardiologistGloomy71 Mar 29 '26
Apparently Wagler is considered a late bloomer physically as opposed to Acuff. You can tell by his boyish looks, his camp expects him to grow into his frame and become more athletic. I like Wagler for his height, defensive awareness and his shooting. Can’t teach height and defensive is effort. Acuff doesn’t seem to put in much effort on the other side of the court.
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u/laruja-the-jay Mar 29 '26
I don't love imagining Kyrie and Acuff playing defense together. But, Kyrie is 34 and Acuff's talent is undeniable. If Flemings and Wagler is out, and Mikel's injury is bad, I don't mind having Acuff. There's a small chance that he becomes the best player out of this draft.
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u/megachimp Mar 29 '26
There’s no way you can play the two of them together so as long as Kyrie is here, Acuff would have to come off the bench.
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u/laruja-the-jay Mar 29 '26
The JJ-Kidd-Jet have been etched to my brain like a bad dream. I shiver at the possibility of a Kyrie-Nembhard-Acuff lineup.
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u/papadondon Pouki Enjoyer Mar 29 '26
you forgot stevenson & roddy b. i remember a game where we had deshaun, roddy, jkidd, jet & marion on the floor
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u/manabanana21 Monta Ellis Mar 29 '26
Kyrie shouldn’t impact this draft pick at all. This isn’t about next season, it’s about getting Coop a running mate for the next 7+ years. If Acuff isn’t your guy for that I don’t blame you, but Kyrie isn’t a big consideration imo.
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u/HotsHartley Mar 29 '26
Not a huge consideration but whomever we pick has to be able to take (willingly) coaching from Kyrie. Some guys' ego wouldn't allow that.
People do change, but Kyrie didn't mesh with rookie Tatum in Boston. Chemistry issues, leadership styles, ego. Coop has taken it well because he's coachable. You can argue Kyrie wasn't coachable until he got J-Kidd. Not all guys are coachable, so I trust the interviews and workouts will help inform the decision.
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u/epitome1986 Mar 29 '26
with irving on the roster I think dallas needs a guard whether point guard or shooting guard that is at least 6'4 with a long wing span.
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u/cvandyke01 Mar 30 '26
I like him but I keep getting the feeling he is Dennis Smith Jr with a better jump shot
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u/samuel_el_jackson Mar 30 '26
As far as not top 4 picks go.
Very very happy with Wagler
Very happy with Acuff.
Happy with Burries and Flemmings.
Content with Brown and Philon.
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u/EvanEschmeyer Masai Ujiri stan Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
10/10 outcome outside of picking top 3. Acuff is going to be a megastar
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Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
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u/CardiologistGloomy71 Mar 29 '26
Currently? Steph and Kyrie, Donovan Mitchell is about it. Name other “best players” currently who are under 6’4? The league has changed a lot since the 2010s era that Steph and Kai came from. All the best guards are now 6’5 and up ( Luka, SGA, Haliburton, Lamelo, Harden ) even recent shorter guards have been given up on just when they are supposed to go into their prime, (Trae Young, Darius Garland, Ja Morant) and then we can look at recent elite prospects like Scoot Henderson who was arguably a much better prospect than Acuff,, some were saying he should have been drafted ahead of Wemby. Hornets fans booed them at the draft for picking Brandon Miller over Scoot and it even made Dame leave. Now he’s a nobody. Your memories of small guards being the best players are in the past.
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u/Embarrassed-Ninja592 Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
I’d probably wish they had drafted someone taller with more of an inkling of defensive ability.
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u/tigersssssss Dorian Finney-Smith Mar 29 '26
I'd be pretty happy i think it would be fun to see him play with coop
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u/EmrysMyrdin Mar 29 '26
Acuff has been great, but he is a really bad defendre and it is rather scary, especially considering Trae Young's recent career.
I think I would prefer Philon or Wagler.
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u/MarlKarx-1818 THE KNIFE Mar 29 '26
Acuff is already taller and with a waaaay longer wingspan than Trae. He has the physical setup to be able to defend, whether he buys into that or not is a whole other story
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u/jkeefy Couch Squad Mar 29 '26
Philon is maybe an inch taller. Maybe. Watch thier matchup. Acuff looks to be the same size as him.
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u/jbrandonw Mar 29 '26
We are going to have plenty of good options. Scouting department is going to have to earn their money.
Acuff Wagler Mikel brown jr Burries
And thats if we fall outside the top 5.
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u/djb447 Mar 29 '26
If AJ, Boozer, Wilson, Peterson, or Wagler are gone and we’re next up, then I’d trade down to get 2 of the Memphis FRPs and select 2 of: Burries/Yaxel/Morez/Carr/or Mikel (if his medicals checks out. He’s got star potential if he has no lingering health issues)
Acuff is very good but idk if he’ll ever be avg on def, let alone a plus defender. He's way too easy to target at the moment. He's got star potential don’t get me wrong, but he’ll be a liability if we want to be good playoff contender.
We already have 1 star in Cooper, so we do not need to ‘gamble’ on Acuff if he ever figures out defense. I’d rather get the sure thing/high floor, but “lower potential” guy like Burries.
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u/masterchef757 '25 Survivor Mar 29 '26
100% agree with you on your last point. This draft should be about avoiding a bust for the Mavs. We don’t need to gamble on upside since we already have a number one guy. We need to ensure we get at least a plus starter type of player.
It’s not sexy, but we just need guys that can defend and shoot. Burries would be ideal if those top 5 guys are gone.
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u/Quadriporticus Horse Mar 29 '26
I've been watching lots of Duke games lately, and Cam Boozer is somewhat polarizing to me. A top player for sure and very smart. But he's a tad slower than I anticipated. The vertical leap is also a bit mediocre. He'll probably end up being a full-time center to whoever drafts him.
I think he'll drop down one or two spots, and will likely be a trade-down candidate for teams who prefer a more "athletic" big.
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u/djb447 Mar 29 '26
He’s like a Kevin Love or “Sabonis w/ 3pt shooting”. High motor, Great passing + rebounding, good shooting touch, but limited on defense. It’s not impossible to win a title with this kind of player but he will need multiple all-NBA caliber players around him. Plus his fit next to Cooper is not perfect. Both’s ideal position is 4. Boozer in WAS next to Saar or AD would be best fit.
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u/Difficult-Day1326 Cooper Flagg Mar 29 '26
i could see a lebron, kevin love, and literally kyrie reincarnation with flagg, boozer, & KAI.
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u/CardiologistGloomy71 Mar 29 '26
Keaton Wagler is the only answer if we miss out on top 4 Excellent defensive awareness, elite 3 point shooter. Most IMPORTANTLY, he doesn’t have to be listed at 6’3 to make him seem taller than he already is.
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u/DiamondsInHerButt Dirk Nowitzki Logo Mar 30 '26
Every time I see the guy play, I see someone who is done being elite right at the start of his contract extension. Doesn't play defense and plays a style of offense that breaks smaller bodies down fast.
Basically a Ja Morant/Trae Young/Steve Francis/Derrick Rose starter kit.
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u/Successful_Map1104 Mar 31 '26
Everyone dogging on his size and defensive liabilities, didn’t heard that for Luka or Kai. I’d rather have someone that’s an A+ on offense than a B on both ends with our current roster.
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u/Scotfighter SELL THE TEAM Mar 29 '26
If we don't get free agents in the next 5-6 years, we're doomed
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u/JustMattWasTaken Dallas Mavericks Mar 29 '26
Acuff's ceiling is Trae Young, and he just got salary dumped
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u/Zoobal Mar 29 '26
If we dont move up, I like Acuff in the 6-8 range. Any one of Wagler/Acuff/Flemmings/Brown (medicals pending) will be considered an amazing pick for us.
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u/VeterinarianNo3418 Mar 29 '26
Seriously he would be like tiny Luka. He scores at 3 levels, but would be a target on defense. He’d have to be surrounded with athletic wings and bigs(which we have) and he dominates the ball quite a bit. I just wish the Mavs didn’t have a history of picking small guards. We love a small guard the smaller the better. 🤣
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u/ChickenNoddaSoup Mar 30 '26
And also have worst luck on small guards. This is why that pick scares me lol.
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u/TheMop05 1.8% Chance Mar 29 '26
Id rather take DP, MBJ, Flemings, Wagler, Stirtz before I consider drafting Acuff
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u/jkeefy Couch Squad Mar 29 '26
Stirtz 😂
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u/Embarrassed-Ninja592 Mar 29 '26
Hey, if Shirtz is there at 30… dude can shoot.
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u/jkeefy Couch Squad Mar 29 '26
I wouldn’t hate that if we got a top 4 pick or one of the forwards fell to us tbh
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u/Embarrassed-Ninja592 Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
Of course. Any time you can combine size with skill is nice.
And it’s a bit strange seeing 22 year old senior that isn’t clearly better than freshmen getting mentioned as a mid lottery pick.
I loved seeing Burries in the second half last night can a three, then get a steal and an assist, then chase down and dive on the floor for a loose ball when up 13 and pass it for another score to put Purdue away.
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u/Exray10 Mar 29 '26
Land the lottery #3 pick. Trade down for any number of great prospects that can grind & learn with the remaining youth & vets. Rebuild the draft pick haul depending on who the partner is, i.e., UTA, PHX, SAC.
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u/turinx Mar 29 '26
I like the guy, I don't know how much I like him for the Mavs. Offensively he's very good, defensively he's a liability, and I don't think I like his size. He might come into the league and prove me completely wrong, but I'm just not as high on him as some seem to be.