A Story of Triumph: How Jo Lual-Acuil developed into the NBL’s Best Sixth Man

Written for nbl.com.au by Tom Hersz

 

Sometimes things happen for a reason.

Take Jo Lual-Acuil for example. He almost never became a basketball player. Growing up in Perth after leaving South Sudan as a six year old, his sport of choice was soccer. That’s what he did with his friends and that’s what he enjoyed.

When Lual-Acuil was in Year 11, he went along with a friend to East Perth Districts Basketball Association for their trials where he was noticed by the Head of Junior Coaching and Development, Steve Williams.

“He saw a lot potential in me and he sat me down and asked me what I wanted to do with my life,” Lual-Acuil told NBL Media yesterday. 

“And I was like ‘I guess I’ll try this basketball thing’. He told me that I could make something out of myself playing basketball and from there the love of affair began.”

Clearly Williams was right and it obviously turned out to be a good decision for the big-man who is now known as ‘JLA’.

As someone who moved to Australia as a child, Lual-Acuil spoke recently with Melbourne United Media – in recognition of the multicultural jerseys they wore in the Semi Finals series – about how proud he is to be South Sudanese, but also to be South Sudanese Australian. His heritage is important to him and it certainly plays a big role in how he approaches playing basketball professionally.

“The biggest thing for me, it’s not so much shaping me, I would say it’s just more me playing with a chip on my shoulder and knowing that it’s much bigger than me,” he explained. 

“I want to be a good role model for the kids coming up, for the next generation of the Sudanese community and even young Aussies growing up. 

“I really want to be somebody that they can look up to, see a story of triumph and just giving inspiration to be able to go on to do bigger things than I’ve done myself. So, I think that’s the biggest thing; just representing something that’s much bigger than me.”

Another thing that is bigger is Lual-Acuil’s role and impact on this Melbourne United team this season. It’s certainly grown from where he was in his first NBL season in NBL20.

He has been a key piece of United’s success this season and a lot of that impact stems from the freedom he is afforded when he enters the game. Unlike last season when Coach Dean Vickerman had much tighter reins on what Lual-Acuil could and could not do on the floor, this season he has Vickerman’s complete trust. 

He also has the trust of his teammates and that allows him to enter the game knowing he can be aggressive on both ends of the floor, which has allowed him to produce consistently. That trust has helped his approach immensely this year.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">?? &quot;I am proud to be South Sudanese and also to be South Sudanese Australian.&quot; - Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. <br>South Sudan is one of the 11 countries represented on our Multicultural Jersey we will be wearing on Friday. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TimeToUnite?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TimeToUnite</a> <a href="https://t.co/3LpiEZkRHW">pic.twitter.com/3LpiEZkRHW</a></p>&mdash; Melbourne United (@MelbUnitedHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/MelbUnitedHQ/status/1402581997290102787?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

“The biggest thing with the trust is that there’s nothing better as a basketball player than knowing that the coach 100% believes in your abilities,” said Lual-Acuil. 

“You just go out there and you play free because you know that the coach trusts you. And I feel like that was the biggest thing that was missing last year, with me and Deano especially; just that trust. 

“And people forget as well, I signed super late in free agency. I think I was the last roster guy signed last year. I wasn’t there for much of the preseason so a lot of it was just me feeling out and starting to gain trust and then working my way up to where I was getting good backup minutes towards the end of the season behind Shawn [Long]. 

“But the biggest thing is just the trust. I just feel like I can be myself out there and not have to worry about making mistakes.”

Having a full pre-season ahead of NBL21 and knowing his coaches and teammates have faith in him, certainly gave him confidence coming into this season. He put in the work during the offseason to ensure he’d play a larger role and he certainly had those expectations when this season began.

“Yeah, for sure. We spoke after the season last year and he told me what he wanted from me,” said Lual-Acuil of his conversation with Vickerman. 

“My biggest thing in the preseason was just making improvements; on my body, on my game and it just went from there. Another big thing was having a real solid preseason with the team. I felt like that helped a lot.” 

Another positive factor has been the addition of Jock Landale as a teammate, a training partner, a motivator. Landale was training with Melbourne long before he signed with them and he and Lual-Acuil certainly pushed each other in the preseason.

That has carried into the season and the results for both of them have been evident with Landale making the All-NBL First Team and Lual-Acuil being recognised as the league’s best Sixth Man at the NBL Awards on Wednesday night.

“It’s always good when you have a great player like Jock on the team,” Lual-Acuil acknowledged. 

“For me, it was just going at him every single day. I didn’t want him to feel like it was going to be easy for him. I wanted him to work for everything and he wanted me to work for everything, and there’s just like a competitiveness there between both of us. 

“That’s what really pushed us to be better; just our competitiveness. Every single day we were going at it and he enjoyed it, I enjoyed it. It was fun. There’s nothing better than that.”

Lual-Acuil, who averaged 9.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, while shooting 55.1 per cent from the field in just 17.2 minutes per game, improved immensely from the 5.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1 block per game he had last season. 

He’s had some huge games too, going for 16 points and 12 rebounds in the season opener; 13 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks in Round 15 against the 36ers; and a whopping 51 points, 28 rebounds and 10 blocks in three games across Round 16, including a season-high 23 points against the Breakers.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/MelbUnitedHQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MelbUnitedHQ</a> big man Jo Lual-Acuil has been voted the best off the bench, taking home Best Sixth Man honours 6?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheGazeys?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheGazeys</a> <a href="https://t.co/TdNc2m0ACR">pic.twitter.com/TdNc2m0ACR</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1405109435391832064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

Lual-Acuil beat out Kyle Adnam and teammate Scotty Hopson for the Best Sixth Man Award and while thinking about how he approaches the game when he checks in off the bench, he made a point of stating emphatically that it was not his award alone.

“I really want to acknowledge our bench squad,” he said. 

“We’re the ‘White Squad’ because we wear the white singlets [in practice]. But those are the guys. Me, Shea, Barlow, Hop now, Baba, a little bit of Sammy Mac – I just want to give those guys a shout out. 

“I feel like this is not just my award. I feel like this is our collective award. I love those guys. We battle every time in practice against the starters and it makes practice so competitive and so fun. And we know that we have the best bench in the league; we truly believe that. 

“So, when we come on, our whole focus is just to make sure that we get on, make an impact and that the other team has to adjust to our energy. That’s our biggest focus; come in and turn things up even more. 

“But yeah, special shout out to those guys. I feel like this is our award for sure, not just mine.”

It’s been a difficult year across the league for many reasons. Obviously with the league managing through a pandemic, teams have been asked to adapt, to stay flexible as schedules change, border restrictions impact movement and teams try to stay together.

It’s easy to forget that Lual-Acuil was among several players within the Melbourne United roster who actually tested positive to COVID-19 last year. They not only had to recover from the illness, but were then further impacted during Victoria’s extended lockdown with training restrictions and additional protocols.

So when reflecting on all he has had to overcome this season, Lual-Acuil acknowledged that this award was also a reflection of all he has put into his game and his development over the past 10-plus months.

“Personally, I feel like I’ve put in so much work into my game this offseason and I’ve just been through a lot,” he explained. 

“From catching COVID to not being allowed to have contact in practice, to finally being allowed to play. It’s just been a crazy up and down year for everybody and I’m just grateful that I was able to win. It’s just a testament to the hard work. 

“I think you can ask everybody on the team [about] who was always in the gym, and I would be up there with the guys who spent a lot of time on the floor. I love hooping and I love putting extra work in and I’m just glad that my hard work paid off.”

Lual-Acuil, along with the rest of the ‘White Squad’ are going to need to continue to work as they try to stop Perth’s bid for a three-peat.

It’s no secret that Melbourne has a stacked roster. Their second unit is almost like a second starting five and their depth has been one of their biggest strengths all season, along with their team defence. 

That depth is going to be especially important against a team like Perth; one that plays a selfless, team-first, collective effort style that has brought them so much success in recent times. Lual-Acuil knows that Melbourne’s depth is one of the keys to winning this series.

“It’s super important,” he admitted. 

“Perth are obviously a great team. Obviously missing Bryce is big, but just watching that Semi Finals series against Illawarra, you had guys like Jesse Wagstaff coming off the bench making an impact, Clint Steindl as well coming on and making an impact; they’re a full team. 

“Everything they do is collective and we have to match that as well. It’s not going to be one guy that wins us a Grand Final; it’s going to be our whole team. So the focus stays the same. Just make an impact defensively and get out and run offensively.”

Of course with no Cotton, Melbourne’s attention has shifted towards limiting the impact of John Mooney. Like Landale, Mooney was selected to the All-NBL First Team and has had some huge games against United this season.

Mooney is now teaming up with Will Magnay, and the big man battle is certainly going to be one to watch. It’s something JLA acknowledges is going to be a good test and a key focus area for them.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MELBOURNE U9?TED!<a href="https://twitter.com/MelbUnitedHQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MelbUnitedHQ</a> win their 9th straight, taking down the <a href="https://twitter.com/Adelaide36ers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Adelaide36ers</a> 92-78 to keep their top spot on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL21?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL21</a> ladder in check.<br><br>Big Jo Lual-Acuil doubled down and swatted 5 shots to snag Bunnings Trade player of the game ?</p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1385886835532988421?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

“Focus is always going to be defensively, but we also feel good about our bigs,” he countered. 

“Mason [Peatling] has been doing a great job ever since Jack White’s been out. We have the MVP in Jock and we’re pretty happy with our bigs as well, I feel like we have some of the best bigs in the league as well. 

“But yeah, Mooney is first team All-NBL, we know how good he is, so it’s going to be a collective job to try to stop him.”

The last time Melbourne United faced Perth in the Finals, they lost the Grand Final three games to one in NBL19 as they tried to go back-to-back. This is a different United team and they’re also facing a different Wildcats roster.

But while Goulding, Barlow, McCarron, McDaniel and Vickerman were all part of that team that fell short two years ago, it’s not a series that the team has rehashed at all in the lead-up to tonight’s game.

“No, they haven’t said anything so far. But a lot of us were on this team last year that lost to Sydney in the Semi Final,” acknowledged Lual-Acuil. 

“And we still remember the feeling that we had in that locker room after we lost that game. So, everything that we’re going through right now, being at this stage, it’s a privilege and it’s nothing that you take for granted. You never know how many Grand Finals you’ll get in your career. 

“So, this one we’re definitely going in focused and ready to play and hopefully the results go our way. But in no way, shape or form are we taking them lightly and this is something that we’ve worked towards the whole season. 

“I think we’re taking this one as different to the one they lost [in NBL19], but everybody remembers when they lose a final or a Grand Final and use it as motivation; whether it’s self-motivation or you use it to motivate the team. They haven’t brought it up, but I know going into the last game, I was thinking about that loss we had in Game 3 against Sydney last year and I didn’t want to have the same feeling.”

During the second quarter of Game 3 against South East Melbourne on Tuesday, United didn’t look like they’d make it back to the Grand Final this season. They were on the ropes and it took a massive, collective effort to turn that game around. 

It was testament to the many and different contributions they get up and down their roster and something that they’ll take with them into the series against the Wildcats. Lual-Acuil knows that United’s depth and the different looks they can put on the floor were a big reason they advanced, and will also help in this series.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">ISO JO ?<br><br>Lual-Acuil was cooking late <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBL21?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBL21</a> <a href="https://t.co/Q7yOtqQJUw">pic.twitter.com/Q7yOtqQJUw</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1388751529495076868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

“Having guys like Barlow, Baba, Shea coming off the bench, those guys just make such an impact on the game. Just always using our depth and just playing defence. 

“I might sound like a broken record here, but that’s always our focus every single time we step on the court. And just having the luxury of having those guys come off the bench is big time for us.”

He also acknowledged the resilience of this team as something that helped them claw their way back into that game against South East Melbourne on Tuesday, especially after a tough loss on Sunday.

“We have a never-say-die attitude and we’re also very well led with CG, Barlow, Macca – those guys are always in time outs leading us, talking to us, making sure everybody’s composed and just taking everything one step at a time. 

“So, big shout out to those guys. They’ve done a great job all year,” Lual-Acuil said.

Melbourne won the regular season and in many ways, have been the team to beat all year. They are now three wins away from securing United’s second championship in the last four years. 

Standing in their way is a team that has won three of the last four titles. It’s a huge test for the make-up of this United roster and whether the strength of their depth can carry them to the promised land.

Lual-Acuil has been a major part of that depth all season and was acknowledged as the league’s best reserve player. It was a personal triumph for him and one he started working towards back in Year 11, when he first made the switch to basketball.

This year has been about a lot more than just basketball though, especially for United’s fans in Melbourne who have been through so much. Lual-Acuil is hoping he can play his part in achieving a team triumph – one that would clearly lift the spirits of many Melburnians.

“It would mean so much,” Lual-Acuil explained. 

“The people of Melbourne, we’ve been through so much this year with the lockdowns and COVID and everything. Some of us even had COVID on the team. 

“It would just mean so much that this could kind of be the light at the end of the tunnel for us. I know it doesn’t change the impact that it’s made but at least it gives us something to be happy about; something to celebrate.”