Despite scoring 25 points in his debut, Sacramento’s top pick battles inefficient shooting and NBA pacing as he shifts focus toward elite playmaking against the Golden State Warriors.
Darius Acuff Jr. is approaching Sunday's game against the Golden State Warriors, aiming to improve from his rough debut game in the California Classic Summer League opener on Saturday.
Acuff Jr. scored 25 points in the Sacramento Kings' victory over the Brooklyn Nets. The box score shows he had a good game, but the eye test revealed something different, as he shot 9-for-29 from the field.
Sacramento's No. 7 pick struggled to score the ball early. His jump shots were short, and even when he got to his spots, he struggled to finish over lengthy defenders.
A defensive three-second call led to a single free throw attempt that put Acuff Jr. on the scoring board. Acuff Jr. made his first field goal attempt six possessions later, and he finished the first quarter with three points.
The pace adjustment to the NBA level hit Acuff Jr. hard. He was used to playing at his preferred pace at Arkansas, but the jump to the NBA made him speed up.
"I was getting rushed a little bit, something I don't normally do," Acuff Jr. told reporters after the game. "I'm just glad we got the win. Stayed a little poised down the stretch, and you know, I'm going to be better next time for sure."
Shots started falling for Acuff Jr. throughout the rest of the game. He scored five points in the second quarter, six points in the third and took over the game in the fourth.
Acuff Jr. had five points and four assists in the fourth quarter. He split a double team to throw an alley-oop pass to Jonathan Mogbo, found Nique Clifford for a layup and completed another lob pass to Dylan Cardwell.
His last assist came in the closing moments of the game to Clifford, who hit the game-winning three-pointer for Sacramento.
"I was on the island by myself, but I seen his man (Egor Dëmin) kind of cheating over a little bit," Acuff Jr. said. "So I trusted him, and I knew he would make it. He's a great shooter."
The Kings kicked off the California Classic with a bang, defeating the Nets 79-76. They will face Yaxel Lendeborg and the Warriors at 5 p.m. EST. for Day 2's matchup.
Acuff Jr. wants to win every summer league game he plays, and he's heading into Sunday's matchup aiming to showcase his playmaking ability.
"If anything, I'm just making sure I'm getting my teammates involved more," Acuff Jr. said. "Don't think I had enough assists today."
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