Top Draft Prospect Draws Jalen Brunson Comparison Ahead of NBA Finals

After powering the New York Knicks to their first NBA Finals appearance in 27 years, Jalen Brunson is now four wins away from becoming one of the most iconic players in franchise history.

The Knicks haven’t won an NBA title since 1973, and if Brunson is the one to end that drought, he’ll be a legend in New York forever.

And on Monday, June 1, just two days before Game 1 against the Spurs in San Antonio, ESPN made a bold comparison, linking Arkansas star guard Darius Acuff Jr. to Brunson.

“Acuff proved to be a scoring-minded guard in college who can broadly impact winning, relying on pace, strength, and ability to score at all three levels to make himself hard for defenders to predict. Though some have drawn comparisons to Trae Young, the more apt stylistic comparison is Brunson, who is physically stronger, less 3-point reliant, and better at limiting turnovers, something Acuff critically excelled at this season,” wrote Jeremy Woo, ESPN NBA draft analyst.

Woo also noted that Acuff, at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, fits the same small-but-powerful offensive guard mold as Brunson, who is listed at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds.

More news: Are the Sacramento Kings Cursed? Inside the Real Story of the NBA Finals

More news: Jalen Brunson Set to Make NBA History in Knicks-Spurs Finals

Acuff is coming off a monster freshman season at Arkansas.

The Detroit native averaged 23.5 points, 6.4 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game while leading the SEC in both points and assists. He also won SEC Player of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Tournament MVP, and the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard.

He was the engine behind Arkansas' first SEC tournament title since 2000 and its run to the Sweet 16.

Acuff is an undersized guard who wins with toughness and physicality, pushing the pace without forcing the action, a rare combination for a 19-year-old.

The biggest knock on Acuff is his lack of length and explosion.

For years, smaller ball-dominant guards had to fight off real draft skepticism unless they had elite athleticism or Stephen Curry-level shooting.

Brunson is helping change that conversation right now with the Knicks.

Acuff is the same kind of compact, efficient offensive creator who wins with craft more than pure burst.

And somewhat ironically, ESPN sees him landing at No. 6 overall with New York’s other NBA franchise, the Brooklyn Nets.

More news: The WNBA Has a New Must-Watch Superstar - and Her Name Isn't Caitlin Clark

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 5:28 PM.