Darius Acuff Jr. wasted no time showing why the Sacramento Kings may have found something with Domantas Sabonis.
In Monday’s 127-103 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the rookie guard and Sacramento’s veteran center looked comfortable together almost immediately. The first six Kings points all came out of pick-and-roll actions between the two, a quick burst that hinted at a new offensive wrinkle for a team that has leaned on Sabonis to steer the attack.
Acuff finished with 19 points on 8-for-17 shooting in 27 minutes, and the scoring came with a calmness that stood out. He used Sabonis’ screen to shake loose defenders, then settled into the mid-range with confidence.
More often than not, he had room to rise up for clean jumpers. On one possession, he also found Sabonis rolling hard to the rim for an early dunk.
That kind of timing is exactly what caught attention from those around the Kings. Matt George, host of the "Matt George Podcast" and "Matt and Kayla Show," said, "It seemed like there was a natural understanding of how the two are supposed to play with each other," George said.
Sactown Sports' Kenny Caraway had already pointed to this fit in late September, saying Acuff could help take pressure off Sabonis. The early signs backed that up. Sabonis remains Sacramento’s primary play initiator because of his playmaking, but the Kings need another real ball handler to keep the offense from becoming too predictable.
They had that before with De'Aaron Fox, and they’ve tried to make it work with Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. The difference now is that Acuff looks like a guard who can shoulder more of that creation load. He led the Arkansas Razorbacks as a freshman and averaged 16.5 shots per game, giving Sacramento a more aggressive option on the perimeter.
What stood out most in his preseason debut was how settled he looked. The struggles he had in the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer Leagues weren’t there Monday.
Bigger, quicker defenders didn’t rush him into bad decisions. He played under control, and that poise showed up next to Sacramento’s veterans.
The Kings have built plenty of their offense around dribble handoffs in recent years, and that structure still gives them a clean way to operate in read-and-react situations. One preseason game doesn’t prove anything on its own, but Acuff and Sabonis looked like a pairing worth watching.
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