Sacramento’s rookie class got a strong early nod from NBA 2K, and Darius Acuff Jr. is right in the middle of it.
The Kings’ No. 7 overall pick landed at 75 overall in the first wave of 2K27 rookie ratings, tied with Los Angeles Clippers guard Keaton Wagler and good for a share of fifth among the class. For a player who flashed big-time ability in Summer League while also fighting through some rough shooting nights, that slot makes sense.
Acuff’s first pro stretch came with both promise and the expected growing pains. Across the California Classic and Las Vegas, he put up 19 points, 5.3 assists, and one steal per game, showing the kind of scoring and playmaking that made him such a coveted prospect.
The efficiency, though, never really followed. He shot 36.5% from the field, 26.3% from three, and 64.3% from the line.
Part of that came from the way opponents attacked him. Teams blitzed Acuff often, trying to get the ball out of his hands and keep him from getting to his spots.
Even so, the talent was obvious in bursts, especially in his first professional game, when he scored 25 against the Brooklyn Nets in the California Classic. He just needed 29 shots to get there, finishing 9-of-29.
That uneven shooting hasn’t cooled Sacramento’s belief in him. A Kings front office executive called him a "true franchise guy" after what he showed.
For now, 2K has only revealed one of Acuff’s specific attributes: his speed with ball, which checks in at 90. That lines up with the way Sacramento sees him as a transition weapon, especially alongside 3-time All Star Zach LaVine. Acuff has shown he’s willing to push the pace and find slashers on the wing, and that kind of burst is exactly what head coach Doug Christie and his staff are looking to lean into.
Acuff’s confidence has been part of the story from the start. During the pre-draft process, he said he believes he is the best player in the class, no matter where he was selected.
In the end, he wound up with the team that had been most involved with him before the draft - and with a front office and coaching staff convinced he’s the player who can speed up the rebuild in Sacramento.
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Kings Fans Can Already See The Big Acuff LaVine Dilemma
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Zach LaVine remains the tricky part of the equation because the Kings still have to decide how much of the offense should flow through him if Acuff is the long-term answer at the point of attack. There is already a sense that Sacramento may need to find the right balance quickly, and if the fit never fully clicks, the bigger question becomes whether LaVine is better suited as part of a contenders plan than this one. [Read more 🡒]