Scott Perry isn’t sounding the alarm about Darius Acuff Jr.’s defense.
That was the loudest question hanging over the Kings’ No. 7 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, even after Sacramento spent that selection on a point guard whose passing vision and offensive pop were among the best in the country. The knock followed Acuff around: too much offense, not enough defense, and not enough consistent effort on that end. Arkansas coach John Calipari even jumped in to defend him, saying, “He was such a good scorer, I didn't give a s--t about his defense."
Perry sees it differently. Speaking with NBC Sports California’s Deuce Mason, the Kings general manager pointed to what he believes is already built into Acuff’s game and personality.
“What we bank on and what I know he has inside of him is that competitive nature,” Perry told NBC Sports California’s Deuce Mason. “He will not want to be the weak link defensively for a team. That’s just how he’s wired.”
Perry also likes the physical tools Acuff brings to the table. He said the first-rounder has the kind of frame and movement skills that can translate on defense once the details catch up.
“He’s got great length for a guy that’s 6’2, 6’3,” Perry said. “He’s very strong and he’s very good laterally.
You see what he does offensively; he can move laterally defensively when he needs to. So now what he’ll quickly learn and understand, at this level, the guys he’s playing against night in and night out he has to get better.”
Conditioning came up repeatedly during the Kings’ rookie introductory press conference, both from Acuff and Perry, and the GM clearly views that as a major part of the equation.
“When you talk about playing an NBA game, the better conditioned you are and you’re not worried about getting tired, the better he’s going to be at both ends of the floor and that’s just a fact,” Perry told Mason. “That’s really going to be the key to unlocking him defensively, is just getting him to next-level shape where he can play without worry about getting tired.”
Sacramento’s defense gives the whole conversation extra weight. The Kings finished with the third-worst defensive rating last season at 121.6, so any improvement from Acuff - and from the roster as a whole - would be a welcome step.
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