Acuff Jr., Sabonis Two-Man Game Looked Promising in Kings Loss

The chemistry between Darius Acuff and Domantas Sabonis looked natural in the Sacramento Kings' 127-103 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.

Acuff scored 19 points on 8-for-17 shooting in 27 minutes and got to work with Sabonis early. The duo scored Sacramento's first six points, all from pick-and-roll actions.

The rookie guard blew past Laker defenders with a quick first step, using Sabonis' screen to create separation for his mid-range jump shots. Their two-man game created instant offense, and Acuff almost always had a wide-open mid-range jumper.

He even found his veteran rolling hard to the rim for an early dunk. Chemistry forming between these two in the preseason is a promising sign for the Kings, and it left Matt George, host of the "Matt George Podcast" and "Matt and Kayla Show," impressed.

"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 believed Acuff and Sabonis would bring out the best in each other in late September. He said the 6-foot-2 guard would release some offensive pressure from the 6-foot-10 center, and so far, he's been proven right.

Sabonis is Sacramento's play initiator because of his high-level playmaking. The team's offense goes as far as the three-time All-Star takes them, but he also needs a bona fide ball handler to create different actions.

He had that with De'Aaron Fox before he got traded last February, and made it work with Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. LaVine and DeRozan aren't dominant shot takers, as both took around 13.5 shots per game last season.

The Kings added a No. 1 option in Acuff, who led the Arkansas Razorbacks as a freshman and shot 16.5 times per game.

Acuff showed promise in his preseason debut. His efficiency struggles from the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer Leagues disappeared.

Bigger, quicker and stronger defenders no longer sped him up; he was in control. The 19-year-old's poise shone next to veteran teammates, an encouraging sign for the season.

Sacramento has relied on the dribble handoff action for much of its success in the last several years. It's hard for defenses to dictate what the Kings do, giving them an advantage in read-and-react scenarios.

Sabonis and Acuff's two-man game shining as it did in the preseason gives coach Doug Christie another reliable attack method.

It is one preseason game, and the two will have to perform well in a larger sample to prove it's truly effective.