BIO: South Sudanese born, before moving to Australia as a six-year-old, after spending time in a Kenyan refugee camp.

He spent his teenage years growing up in Sydney and began playing basketball with the Blacktown Storm (NSW).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Deng Acuoth made his NBL debut with the Sydney Kings at 21 years of age. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.

During his first NBL season, Acouth saw limited playing opportunities with the Kings. Sydney finished the season in seventh place (11-17).

2018/19
The Sydney Kings entered the 2018-19 season with lofty expectations, bolstered by the signing of Andrew Bogut, who returned to Australia after a 14-year NBA career, which included an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2015.

The Kings also became the first team to take advantage of the NBL’s new Next Stars program, bringing in highly regarded prospect Brian Bowen, a McDonald’s All-American, to develop his skills ahead of the NBA Draft. Other notable additions to the roster included Jerome Randle, David Wear (from Spain), Deng Deng (via Big V – McKinnon), Kyle Adnam (via Melbourne), and Tom Wilson (via Melbourne).

Deng Acuoth, in his role as a development player, saw limited game time, appearing in just 6 games and failing to score during the season. His contributions were primarily behind the scenes, where he focused on sharpening his skills and providing energy in practice sessions. Although his minutes on the court were minimal, his effort and readiness to step up when called upon reflected the team-first mentality embraced by the Kings.

Acuoth’s development throughout the season was closely monitored by the coaching staff, who recognized his potential for growth. While his impact was not immediately seen on the stat sheet, his experience as part of a successful, playoff-bound squad added valuable experience as he continued to work on his game.

The Kings finished the regular season in third place with an 18-10 record but were eliminated in the semifinals by Melbourne United. Though Acuoth’s role remained limited during the playoffs, being part of a deep and competitive team environment continued to contribute to his development as a young player.

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX
2019/20
In 2019, Deng Acuoth joined the NBL’s newest franchise, the South East Melbourne Phoenix. The team appointed Simon Mitchell as their inaugural head coach and made a splash by signing Boomers forward Mitch Creek as their marquee player. To build a competitive roster, the Phoenix brought in experienced talent like Ben Madgen (from Europe), Kyle Adnam (from Melbourne), and Adam Gibson (from Adelaide). They rounded out the squad with imports John Roberson, Tai Wesley (from Melbourne), and Devondrick Walker (from the state league).

The Phoenix’s highly anticipated debut came against their cross-town rivals, Melbourne United, in what became known as ‘The Throwdown.’ South East Melbourne stunned United by winning the game by three points (91-88), thanks to their impressive shooting from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of 23 from three-point range. This perimeter-focused style became a hallmark for the team, who led the league in scoring with an average of 95.4 points per game.

The victory came at a cost, however, as Tai Wesley, who had scored eight points early in the game, suffered a hamstring injury just five minutes in. His absence lasted ten weeks, and the Phoenix brought in Jaye Crockett (8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.0 steals) as an injury replacement.

Following their season-opening win, the Phoenix continued their strong start, defeating the Brisbane Bullets (113-93) and Illawarra Hawks (106-102), putting them at 3-0 in their inaugural season. However, their first real test came in Round 4 with an away game against the Perth Wildcats. Despite slow starts from Perth’s stars Bryce Cotton (16 points) and Terrico White (17 points), Perth handed South East Melbourne their first defeat (110-79), snapping their winning streak.

After this heavy loss, victories became harder to come by. The Phoenix struggled against teams like Adelaide, Sydney, and United, and by mid-season, they found themselves at an even six wins and six losses, sitting just outside the top four. During this period, the team also parted ways with Devondrick Walker (7.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.9 assists) due to underwhelming performance following his recovery from a foot injury. Keith Benson (5.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks) was brought in as a replacement, though he also struggled to make a significant impact.

The Phoenix leaned heavily on their star players, Mitch Creek (20.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.2 steals) and John Roberson (20.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists), but consistency eluded them. Over their next 16 games, South East Melbourne managed only 3 wins while suffering 13 losses, finishing their season with an eight-game losing streak. By the end of the 20-round season, the Phoenix ended up second-last with a 9-19 record.

Acuoth saw limited action during the season, appearing in 9 games but failing to score. His role, similar to his previous seasons, was more about development and providing support during practice sessions as the team navigated their challenging debut season.

ADELAIDE 36ERS
2022/23
After a challenging NBL22 season where injuries and inconsistency plagued the Adelaide 36ers, head coach CJ Bruton entered the 2022/23 campaign with renewed optimism. With a full offseason to prepare, Bruton looked to reshape the team while retaining a core group that included captain Mitch McCarron, Anthony Drmic, Daniel Johnson, Sunday Dech, Hyrum Harris, and Kai Sotto.

Adelaide also made significant moves during the offseason, signing proven NBL imports Antonius Cleveland (from Illawarra) and Robert Franks (from Brisbane) on multi-year deals. To bolster their scoring, the team added G-League star Craig Randall II (from Long Island Nets), bringing a fresh offensive firepower to the roster.

The 36ers kicked off the season in historic fashion, with a preseason victory over the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, becoming the first overseas team to defeat an NBA opponent since 2015. They followed up with a strong performance against Oklahoma City, raising expectations for a potential championship run.

However, after returning to Australia, things quickly unraveled. Despite being considered title contenders, Adelaide stumbled to a 3–4 record in the first month. During this time, Randall II, the team’s leading scorer (20.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.0 steals), clashed with coach Bruton on multiple occasions. Following a disagreement over coming off the bench, Randall was released six games into the season.

As the season progressed, imports Franks (17.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists) and Cleveland (15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.9 steals) carried much of the offensive load. Meanwhile, veteran Daniel Johnson had his lowest-scoring season in nearly a decade, averaging 11.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. The team struggled down the stretch, losing six of their final eight games and failing to qualify for even the Play-In tournament.

Mitch McCarron (7.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.6 steals) and Drmic (10.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists) provided consistent contributions, while NBL Next Star Kai Sotto (6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds) showed flashes of his potential. Midway through the season, Adelaide (sitting at 6-8) signed former Sydney King Ian Clark (12.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) for the final 10 games, hoping to salvage their playoff hopes. However, despite Clark’s contributions, the 36ers faltered, winning just two of their last eight games.

The high expectations generated by their preseason success against the Phoenix Suns proved to be unrealistic, as Adelaide finished the season in eighth place with a 13-18 record. Deng Acuoth saw limited action, appearing in 13 games and averaging 0.3 points.

Deng Acuoth played four seasons across three NBL teams. This included the Sydney Kings, South East Melbourne Phoenix and Adelaide 36ers..

Dan Boyce (823 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.