The recent Pace commit and Mount Sinai transfer brings a skill set every offense needs. His off-ball play and quick release are both legit and show up even against top defenses. Off the ball, he’s elite at identifying when defenders are ball-watching—even something as small as a head turn—and making them pay for it. If defenders try to stay disciplined with their hips open, his cuts are still so quick and well-timed that it’s tough to take good angles and recover.

When you pair that off-ball IQ with his hands and lightning-fast release, he becomes really difficult to deal with. He catches everything inside and gets it out so quickly that goalies barely have time to react. The lefty also has enough quickness and bounce to beat defenders to the middle for quality looks, where that same quick release freezes goalies again. Darling is the type of player you need your best off-ball defender on if you want any chance of slowing down the offense he’s part of.

The recent Pace commit and Mount Sinai transfer brings a skill set every offense needs. His off-ball play and quick release are both legit and show up even against top defenses. Off the ball, he’s elite at identifying when defenders are ball-watching—even something as small as a head turn—and making them pay for it. If defenders try to stay disciplined with their hips open, his cuts are still so quick and well-timed that it’s tough to take good angles and recover.

When you pair that off-ball IQ with his hands and lightning-fast release, he becomes really difficult to deal with. He catches everything inside and gets it out so quickly that goalies barely have time to react. The lefty also has enough quickness and bounce to beat defenders to the middle for quality looks, where that same quick release freezes goalies again. Darling is the type of player you need your best off-ball defender on if you want any chance of slowing down the offense he’s part of.