[JoeWolf1]

 Despite being a college post player with a around the basket mentality, could Quincy Acy translate, due to his athletic ability, into a wing defender?

I say, It’s worth a shot.

Acy’s height is not going to wow anyone and it may prevent him from being viewed as a power forward at the next level.  That being said, that is where he may play his majority of minutes on offense, but with an 8’10” standing reach, an 11’11.5” max reach and the quickest shuttle time of anyone at the combine….Why not try to transition him to being more comfortable defending away from the hoop.

He’s not a true swing man, but with with his speed, size and athletic ability the potential is there to give elite wing players fits as they try to drive to the hoop.  He also has the strength, size (224 lbs) and a 7’2” wingspan to match up with the more athletic 6’7”-6’9” players in the league.

He’s got the size, speed, length, strength, leaping ability, a strong defensive foundation and a gritty attitude on the court.  Draft Quincy Acy with a 2nd round pick, sign him for two years.  Play him in the D-League and in limited minutes in the NBA trying to develop him into being more comfortable guarding guys away from the hoop and by year two I think you have a guy who is going to be ready to play in specialty situations and going forward you could have yourself an elite defender capable of guarding 2’s, 3’s and 4’s.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 I think his skill level makes it tough to move outside.  He just doesn’t move with the fluidity and coordination of an NBA wing.  I don’t think he is quick enough to defend NBA wings, so him becoming an elite wing defender when he is already only a mediocre defender down low is highly improbable.  The fact that he isn’t a good shooter even from mid-range doesn’t bode well for his future as a wing.

I think if Acy has a future in the league, it is at the center position, where he could use his athleticism and quickness to outmaneuver larger defenders on the pick and roll in order to attack the basket, while making an impact running the floor in transition and grabbing offensive boards.  I don’t like him as an NBA 4, let alone 3. That said, I doubt he makes it in the league at any position, so maybe it is worth a shot to experiment.

[mosdefParticipant]

its worth a shot. I know they are ranked differentally but I would prefer Henson at SF more then Acy. I guess its just cuz of the bulk. Watching Baylor when I could cuz Im a Kansas fan, I actually thought Acy was the best player on the team cuz he put out alot of effort. He wasnt as explosive as a Jason Maxiell but that is who Im comparing him just a poor mans version

[joecheck88Participant]

 I think he fits in to athletic teams like the Clippers where you can just switch pick and rolls and leave Acy on the ball handler. I see Kenyon Martin do this a lot. I think Acy could do it too but he needs to be a Reggie Evans type player to make it though. He needs to be able to rebound and guard bigs. I think he will be very capable of that. 

[JoeWolf1]

 Acy is a solid shooter from the mid-range.  He’s a 78% FT shooter and can hit a mid range jump shot, although he has no 3 point range.  No, he doesn’t look like an NBA wing on offense, but when you start taking a look at 2nd unit combinations, many of them don’t follow the same 1,2,3,4,5 combination that most 1st units have.

Acy could be a specialist, he guy who, like joecheck88 mentioned, could switch out on the pick and roll.  A guy who could guard a 4, but a guy who could also be put on a 2 or 3 for a possession or two on and off or coming out of a time out.  

I also disagree that there is a level of coordination he doesn’t have.  He’s a very fluid athlete, not with the basketball dribbling, but moving from side to side, jumping and from a timing standpoint.  All imporant skills when playing defense near or away from the rim.

I see potential here, for a guy who can guard 3 positions, sometimes 4 if it’s a smaller center.  Whether or not he gets the chance or if it pans out.  I think it’s a low risk/high reward pick in the 2nd round.  We all saw what Thabo did on Lebron last night and he can’t play a lick of offense.  Acy could be a guy capable of slowing down and frustrating (lets face it, no one completely stops them)  the top wings in the NBA.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 OK, he may be a solid mid-range shooter, but not a good one.  He seldom shoots from mid-range unless he is wide open and has a fairly slow release.

I suppose I just got a very different impression of him from watching him play.  I have seen quite a bit of Baylor, and he just doesn’t always rotate quick or play great defense as a big.  I also don’t think he is near quick enough to defend NBA 2s.  He played center in a zone defense in college; picking up the nuances of man to man perimeter defense won’t be easy.

Thabo Sefolosha is an elite perimeter defender, better than Acy probably will ever be, and he can also knock down open shots and score a bit in the mid ranger.  He is an offensive liability at the NBA level who is only on the court because of his defense, but he is a better shooter than Acy.

[JoeWolf1]

I think you’re mis-understanding me a bit.  You don’t have to play a 3 on offense to defend a 3 on defense.  The majority of your bigger 3’s play power forward at times while playing small ball.  That is why I referenced many 2nd units don’t go by the typical 1,2,3,4,5 lineup.

Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Danny Granger, Luol Deng, Rudy Gay and countless wing men have all lined up at the 4 at times during certain parts of certain games.  Having a guy, who may play like a post on offense, who can give a team an option of putting in a player who can step out and guard them during stretches where maybe 1 or 2 starters are in the game is a huge asset.

There are so many combinations and scenarios where defensive specialists and versitle bench players are needed, that there are dozens of NBA players who do little more than defend who have had long careers doing so. Taj Gibson can switch out on an athletic wing and guard them for stretches and that guy is a PF on offense through and through.  You don’t have to be a 3 to guard a 3.  He’s also not a liability on offense because he doesn’t turn the ball over, doesn’t take dumb shots and can hit an open 15 footer (much like Gibson).

I’m not saying it’s a 100% sure fire slam dunk of an idea, but I think it’s an extremely low risk, extremly high reward idea.  

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

joewolf,

If I am the Thunder Quincy Acy might be the guy I am looking for.  He can rebound and plays hard.  He might be able to play center for 2 or 3 minutes at a time, but I can see him being a good replacement for Nick Collison.  He and Serge would kick butt in a smaller, quicker, Thunder front line.  I like his rebounding potential.  He can also get up and has huge hands.  Could be a great alley-oop target to go along with the other OKC high flyers of Durant, Ibaka, and Westbrook.  

… not sure he will ever be a big scorer, but if he could score 6 or 7 points off the bench he could give the Thunder a decent scoring threat, especially since he wills core mostly on put backs, dunks, and garbage buckets.  They won’t have to run anything for him.

Now that you kind of brought it up, Acy’s toughness, athleticism, size, and wingspan, he could be a pretty good LeBron stopper at some point.  If the Thunder need anything it would be a bigger lock down defender.  Thabo is great and played really inspired basketball last night but I don’t see him being great on bigger players like LeBron.  I was thinking last night that the Thunder could have used Shane Battier.  A guy to defend LeBron and hit 3 pointers.  

Quincy Acy could be the guy to solve some of OKC’s needs.  They need another inside guy who is a threat to put up points.  I think Acy can be a decent shot blocker, and they could use another swat artist.  The Thunder could use another top flight rebounder to go along with Ibaka (K Perk is solid, but not on the boards) and I can see Acy chipping in in that area.  Then you have his defensive potential.  He has a unique blend of talents and skills to be able to guard bigger 3 men like LeBron, Carmelo, and Rudy Gay, as well as traditional power forwards like Amare, Carlos Boozer, Paul Milsap, Zach Randolph, and perhaps the Blake Show.   Quincy Acy can also steal some minutes at center especially when the Thunder go small. 

Quincy Acy would really help out the Thunder in a lot of areas.  The best part is that they might be able to trade down to get him.  They might be able to trade their 1st round pick for a second round pick plus maybe cash and a future 2nd rounder for him. 

[Author]

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