Darius Acuff Jr. is walking into his rookie year in Sacramento with the kind of expectations that don’t exactly leave much room to breathe.
SleeperHoops (@Sleeper_Hoops) projected Acuff to land on the All-Rookie First Team next season, slotting him alongside Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer and Aday Mara. For Acuff, that kind of projection points to something bigger than just a strong debut. It suggests he’s being viewed as the best rookie point guard in the group, ahead of Mikel Brown Jr. and Kingston Flemings, and as the kind of player who can anchor a rebuilding roster.
That fits the setup in Sacramento. The Kings are expected to prioritize his growth by putting the ball in his hands and giving him heavy minutes, the same role he handled with the Arkansas Razorbacks last season. That path could quickly turn him into the team’s No. 1 option while general manager Scott Perry works the trade market to keep building around him.
ESPN also gave the 19-year-old some strong early buzz, predicting he has the best chance to win Rookie of the Year among players outside the top four picks. And the rookie class itself looks loaded, with Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, Acuff and Caleb Wilson all in the mix for the spotlight.
Around Sacramento, the confidence in Acuff’s scoring upside is already loud. Radio hosts Matt George and Carmichael Dave both believe the seventh overall pick should score more than De’Aaron Fox and Jalen Brunson did early in their careers.
George said Acuff should "smash" Fox's rookie numbers and could threaten his second-year averages. Fox put up 11.6 points in his first season before jumping to 17.3 in year two.
Dave, meanwhile, thinks Acuff can top Brunson’s scoring mark from the 2021-22 season, his final year with the Dallas Mavericks. Brunson averaged 16.3 points while shooting 50.2% overall.
There’s real evidence behind the optimism. Acuff led the SEC in scoring at 23.5 points per game and dropped a career-high 49 points in a double-overtime loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Feb.
- That kind of production is exactly why Sacramento is betting on him to grow into a centerpiece.
The adjustment has not been smooth in summer league, though. Acuff has had trouble dealing with the physicality of NBA defenses, and he admitted the defense sped him up in his first game, something he said felt uncomfortable because he had always played at his own pace in college.
The numbers reflected that struggle. He went 9-for-29 in the California Classic opener, 7-for-19 against the Milwaukee Bucks, 6-for-20 in the Las Vegas Summer League opener and 4-for-14 against the Washington Wizards. Altogether, that was 31.8% shooting.
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