Boasting a vast skill set, Sacramento Kings rookie Darius Acuff Jr. earned high praise from coach Doug Christie after his first preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Acuff produced 19 points, four assists, two rebounds, one steal and one block in the 127-103 loss on Monday at the Golden 1 Center. Starting at point guard, Acuff went 8-for-17 from the field and committed five turnovers in three quarters of work.
The seventh overall pick recorded 17 points in the first half alone, leading the team in scoring at the intermission. He credited the coaching staff and his teammates for instilling the confidence in him to come out aggressive, which stood out to Christie.
"He is special," Christie said Tuesday after practice, via KCRA-TV. "He processes
the game. He understands angles, when to shoot, when to pass, coming off the pick-and-roll aggressive. Those are all things that, he is 19 years old, are high level. It is an honor to coach him and I'm glad he is on our team, for sure."
Darius Acuff Jr. shined in the first half of his NBA preseason debut!
— NBA (@NBA) October 6, 2026
17 PTS (8-14 FGM)
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Acuff was highly touted out of Arkansas for his prolific scoring and ability as a lead guard, ranking third in the country in points (845) and seventh in assists (232). He joined Pete Maravich as the only players to lead the SEC in points and assists in the same season.
The 19-year-old was heavily linked to the Kings throughout the predraft process, in part, because of their need at point guard. The group has been impressed by his game management, from his ability to call plays and ensure teammates are in the right positions.
Acuff has enjoyed his first week of training camp and believes the group is responding well offensively. He is working diligently to hone his skills as a point guard and work to prove himself as a leader to the rest of the team early on.
"It is a different business," Acuff said, via KCRA-TV. "Every day, you've got to just come in and be serious. I want to be great at something, just coming in, working and being a leader, especially as the point guard. You want to come in and be a leader, be the quarterback and just build everybody together."
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Kings' Doug Christie calls it 'an honor' to coach Darius Acuff Jr.
