Darius Acuff Jr. is giving the Sacramento Kings one of the few things they can feel good about during a brutal 1-10 start, and the rookie’s scoring pace has now pushed him into rare air.
The Kings’ No. 7 overall pick is averaging 26.2 points per game, a mark that places him alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan as the only rookies to average at least 26 points through their first 11 games. Acuff earned his spot on that list with a 29-point night in Tuesday’s 107-100 loss to the Orlando Magic, his seventh straight game with 20 or more points.
That production has not stopped the criticism from following him. Some have questioned whether his approach is too selfish, and former No. 2 pick Michael Beasley has urged the rookie to shoot less for the sake of building a better relationship with his teammates.
The volume is part of the story, too. Through 11 games, Acuff is taking 22.8 shots per night, which is tied with reigning two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for second-most in the league and trails only Luka Doncic.
Even with all of that, the company he’s keeping is hard to ignore. For a rookie to land on a scoring list that includes Abdul-Jabbar and Jordan says plenty about what Acuff has already shown.
He’s proving that, despite his age and relatively small stature, he can score with the best of them. The next question is whether those numbers can start turning into wins for Sacramento.
In Other News...
Kings Rebuild Around Darius Acuff Jr. Just Got Very Real
The Kings roster reset took another clear step when general manager Scott Perry sent guard Nique Clifford to the Oklahoma City Thunder for two second-round picks, a move that fits the broader overhaul Sacramento has been signaling around rookie Darius Acuff Jr. It is the kind of transaction that says as much about direction as it does about the player involved, with the front office clearly trying to create room, flexibility and a faster path toward a new core.
Scott Perrys next decisions could shape how aggressive that reset becomes. Reports have the Kings open to offers on most of their veterans, including Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and Malik Monk, which would mark a dramatic shift in how Sacramento approaches the roster around Acuff. For now, Clifford is the only confirmed move, but the noise around the rest of the group suggests the Kings are far from finished. [Read more 🡒]
Doug Christie Just Sent A Clear Message About The Kings Rotation
After another loss, this one to the Portland Trail Blazers, Doug Christies rotation looked a little different than it has for much of the early season. The Kings fell to 1-11, but the more notable shift was how Christie spread the minutes around, giving 10 of the 11 active players a turn on the floor and getting eight of them to at least 10 minutes.
For a team still searching for answers, that kind of distribution can say plenty about where the coaching staff is headed. Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. logged fewer minutes than his season average, a sign Christie is willing to adjust from the heavier starter workloads that had defined previous games. Whether it is a one-night change or the start of a broader rotation rethink, Sacramento is clearly in a phase where every minute is being reexamined. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Losing Streak Keeps Growing But One Bright Spot Just Emerged
The losing streak keeps dragging on for Sacramento, and the latest setback came in a 120-107 loss to Portland that extended the skid to five straight and left the Kings still searching for their first home win of the season. The bigger concern remains the same: the offense has been hard to trust, with poor shooting and foul trouble again making it difficult for the Kings to find any rhythm.
Even in a rough night, there were a couple of signs worth noting. Darius Acuff Jr. battled through an inefficient scoring effort to still finish with 17 points, six assists and four rebounds, while Keegan Murray delivered a season-best showing with 16 points, seven rebounds and two steals. For a team looking for any foothold, Murrays bounce-back stood out as a rare positive in a stretch that has otherwise been defined by frustration. [Read more 🡒]