Kings’ Acuff Jr. Could Make History in Rookie Season

Darius Acuff Jr. is primed to make history in his rookie year, as he could have the highest usage rate since the 2023-24 season.

Victor Wembanyama topped the list with a 32.2% usage rate for the San Antonio Spurs. He averaged 21.4 points on 16.7 shots per game, shooting 46.5% from the field.

The floodgates have opened for Acuff since Ben Simmons tore his Achilles heel on Sunday, per ESPN's Shams Charania. Simmons handled primary playmaking duties in the Sacramento Kings' preseason finale against the Spurs on Friday.

Acuff spent more time playing off the ball than in his natural role as a dominant on-ball guard. He finished with a preseason low of 12 shots on Friday, three fewer than his 15.6 average in his three other appearances.

Sacramento's seventh pick would have an adjustment period playing next to Simmons. Now, he's back in his natural No. 1 role ahead of Wednesday's season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The 19-year-old led the SEC in points (23.5 per game) and assists (6.3 per game) last season at Arkansas. He was the Razorbacks' offensive engine and will have the same at the next level.

Acuff could be a position to be the favorite for Rookie of the Year with high usage. The Kings aren't expected to win many games this season, and other rookies are in better situations.

AJ Dybantsa is playing alongside Trae Young and Anthony Davis on the Washington Wizards. Darryn Peterson has to share ball-handling duties with Keyonte George, whom the Utah Jazz extended last month.

ESPN predicted Washington and Utah to have 10 or more wins more than Sacramento.

Acuff has looked like the best rookie in preseason. The seventh pick leads all rookies in scoring, averaging 17.3 points and shooting 42.1% from three.

His preseason performance showed a glimpse of what the Kings' offense will look like over 82 games. He had his best performance against the Golden State Warriors, scoring 25 points and dishing eight assists.

While Acuff can make history with the highest usage rate in NBA history for a rookie, it's important the offense doesn't bog down to Acuff-only isolations.

He'll be game-planned against nightly, and defenses will try to mitigate his impact with various coverages. The Denver Nuggets blitzed Luka Dončić throughout the entire preseason finale, which led to many turnovers.

Acuff will face those challenges consistently, and if he can handle them with poise and consistency, the 19-year-old could be Sacramento's first Rookie of the Year since Tyreke Evans in the 2009-2010 season.