Darius Acuff Jr. brushes off Jalen Brunson comparisons, leaning into his elite playmaking and scoring versatility to anchor a revamped Sacramento backcourt alongside Zach LaVine.
The Sacramento Kings' No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff Jr. had a polarizing showing at the Summer League, struggling with inefficiency, but showing flashes of elite scoring and playmaking potential.
KingsRoundtable's Demetrius Montero recently reported that Sactown Sports radio host Carmichael Dave predicts Acuff to score 17-18 points right away, using 2021-22 Jalen Brunson as a measuring stick for the reigning SEC Player of the Year.
During that year, Brunson averaged 16.3 points per game, and is a similar player, but Acuff is focused on carving out his own path.
"It's great others want to compare me to great players like that, but I compare myself to who I was the game before and try to improve every time I set foot on the court..." Acuff told ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel. "I want to write my own story and my own greatness."
Acuff and Brunson have been linked for their abilities on the offensive end, getting to their spots and knocking down jump shots at a high clip.
While Acuff has talked about watching and studying the 2026 Finals MVP, he has made it clear that he wants to be a different type of player.
Acuff's scoring ability is what jumps off the charts, but people forget that the former Razorback also led the conference in assists per game, becoming the first player in the conference to do so since 1991–1992.
This was evident when watching him in Las Vegas and California, as Acuff frequently delivered pinpoint passes to open teammates and showed control and pace in the pick-and-roll action.
Defenses also played Acuff aggressively, blitzing ball screens and trying to get the ball out of his hands.
This won't be as easy to recover from for opponents in the regular season, as the Kings have a strong offensive core.
Both Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine, who are dynamic scorers and playmakers in their own right, will take some of this attention of the rookie guard, allowing him to play more freely.
We at KingsRoundtable have closely monitored Sabonis' situation this offseason, but it seems more likely than ever that the 3-time All-Star will be back in Sacramento for the 2026-2027 campaign.
LaVine, who recently picked up his $49 million player option, is another player who is probably staying put, providing a 3-level-scoring presence next to Acuff.
Defensively, this trio may struggle, but the acquisitions of Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp will help offset the potential shortcomings in that end of the floor.
Having a player like Acuff, who is extremely confident in himself, is a breath of fresh air for Sac Town, who needs someone the fans can grasp onto and support.
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