The Sacramento Kings have put the ball in Darius Acuff Jr.’s hands, and the rookie point guard has wasted no time turning that trust into production. At 19, he’s already sitting as a top-11 scorer in the NBA as of Nov. 10 with 25.9 points per game, and the numbers keep piling up in a hurry.
Acuff’s latest statement came Sunday against the Miami Heat, when he poured in 32 points to go with 10 assists and five rebounds. It was his fourth game with at least 30 points, another box checked in a start that has already started to feel historic.
That kind of surge has not gone unnoticed. After the loss, former NBA All-Star point guard Jeff Teague gave Acuff a strong endorsement and made a big prediction for the No. 7 overall pick.
"He cold, man. I think he’s cold, I think next year, third year you right he’ll be top three PG in the league," Teague said.
Teague has backed Acuff for a while, including before the NBA Draft, and he also picked him as his Rookie of the Year choice after Acuff landed in Sacramento.
For the Kings, the early returns are hard to ignore. The team entered the season hoping that veterans returning to full health would push them toward more wins, but instead Sacramento has stumbled to 1-9 and dropped three games by 25 points or more.
Even so, Acuff has given the front office something real to build around. He’s running the offense with efficiency and, as the season has gone on, he’s started to show more as a passer. After averaging 6.3 assists per game in his first six outings, he has climbed to nine assists per game in November as the game has slowed down for him.
The next challenge is figuring out the right pieces around him. Sacramento still has to sort out which players fit long term and where it needs help to cover Acuff’s weaknesses.
Teague suggested one answer, saying the Kings should "get a bunch of defenders" around Acuff so he can control the offense, pointing to Luka Dončić and Allen Iverson as examples.
Acuff has already drawn Iverson comparisons before, but he’s also doing something Iverson never did: he set the NBA record for most points by a point guard in his first 10 career games.
Another former NBA star chimed in Sunday as well. Gilbert Arenas, a 3-time All Star guard, called Acuff an "animal" and said, "He’s going to lead the league in scoring," Arenas said. "Hands down."
In Other News...
Zach LaVine Just Sent A Big Message About The Kings Offense
After the loss to Orlando, Zach LaVine made it clear the Kings are already adjusting around the rise of rookie Darius Acuff Jr. LaVine said his role is shifting to support the young guard, who has quickly emerged as Sacramentos primary scorer, and he acknowledged his own turnovers as part of what went wrong in the game. For a team still searching for the right offensive balance, the message was less about one rough night and more about where the Kings are headed.
Acuffs latest outing only strengthened that case, with 29 points and six assists as he kept extending a streak of consecutive games with at least 20 points and five assists. LaVine said he wants to help Acuff grow by adapting his own style, which is a notable admission from a veteran scorer who has spent much of his career carrying the load himself. For Sacramento, the bigger question now is how quickly that partnership can settle in while the offense continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Trade Buzz Suddenly Tests Sacramentos Commitment To Its Youth Movement
Scott Perrys latest move already signaled how Sacramento is thinking about the back end of its roster, sending guard Nique Clifford to Oklahoma City for future second-round picks. It was the kind of deal that fits a team trying to keep its options open, and it also comes at a time when the Kings are still shaping the next wave around rookie Darius Acuff Jr., whose development has become part of the bigger conversation in the organization.
Now the buzz around Draymond Green is putting that youth-first approach to the test. Green, Perry and Acuff all have Michigan ties, and Green recently offered Acuff advice during a preseason game, which only adds to the intrigue around a possible fit. Sacramentos interest appears tied in part to the idea of Green as a mentor, but with the Kings still leaning into younger pieces and Green currently a free agent, the path from speculation to something real is far from clear. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Unexpected Center Move Raises A Bigger Sabonis Question
After moving Nique Clifford in a separate deal, the Kings filled out their roster by signing veteran center Mason Plumlee to a rest-of-season non-guaranteed contract. It is a practical depth move more than a headline-grabber, but it does give Sacramento another experienced body in the middle and helps the team get back to the 14-player minimum.
Plumlee is entering his 14th NBA season, and the structure of the deal gives the Kings some flexibility while they sort through their frontcourt plans. The contract is prorated and carries a guarantee date of January 10, with Sacramento needing to waive him by January 7 to avoid the full salary becoming guaranteed, which keeps the focus on how long the team intends to keep him around. [Read more 🡒]