The Sacramento Kings training camp is underway with day three of practice wrapping up, and already, reports are coming out that Darius Acuff Jr. looks the part of the franchise player the Kings desperately need.
It was clear during media day that Acuff is the center of everything the Kings are doing this year, as his schedule was jam packed with interviews and media availability, but what matters most is what happens on the court. jam-packed. Following day three of practice, Doug Christie was asked by Sactown 1140’s Brendan Nunes about how Acuff is handling all the responsibilities of leading an offense as a rookie NBA point guard.
Christie chuckled before getting into everything that Acuff is doing well on the court so far.
“There’s a lot. The leader of men, the leader of a team, the ability to understand time and score, and one of the biggest things is when to shoot and when to pass, and he can do both. So there’s a lot for him, but to his credit, he’s first one in, last one out. Works extremely hard, takes coaching, watches film. The kid is a machine.”
It’s the exact answer you hope Christie would have for the seventh overall pick, and it shows how mature Acuff already is for his age. Still a teenager at 19, it’s clear that Acuff is already ahead of his age and appears ready to lead the team. That’s easier said than done for any rookie point guard, but especially for this iteration of the Kings roster, which is a mismatch of young players and veterans who could be traded any day this season.
Passing and Shooting
What immediately stood out during Summer League was Acuff’s ability to not only score but also to pass and set up his teammates. It shouldn’t be a surprise, as he dished out 6.4 assists along with his 23.5 points last year at Arkansas, but it’s his scoring ability that stole headlines leading up to and following the draft.
Acuff was consistently one step ahead of the defense and made passes that got open look after open look. Transitioning from a Summer League roster to a full-fledged NBA team should only make his passing look better, as the shot-making should be better than it was during the exhibition season.
Leadership
The Kings will need everyone to step up this season, but if Acuff is going to have the keys to the kingdom and this is his team, he has to not only be the best player on the court, but the leader of it as well. It’s great news that the Kings are already seeing that, and it’s more than clear that Acuff truly loves the game of basketball and wants to learn and get better by any means necessary.
That’s a great sign, specifically on the defensive end. Acuff scoring and passing are great, but that’s expected. If the Kings are going to shock the NBA world this year, they are going to have to do so by taking a leap on defense, and Acuff learning quickly and taking even marginal steps forward on that end of the ball would go a long way to help.
The word ‘coachability’ gets thrown around a lot in sports, but it truly is a pivotal key to success for individuals. Acuff wants to get better; he wants to improve, and that will hopefully trickle down to the entire Kings roster as training camp continues.
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