Kings' Veterans Praise Rookie Acuff After 33-Point Showing

After the Sacramento Kings drafted Darius Acuff Jr. with their top-10 draft pick, it became clear he would have a big responsibility instantly in the backcourt.

Through the opening two games, Acuff has had two very different performances, but has continued to get his shots up.

Acuff's 50 total shots taken through his debut appearances ranks first in NBA History among rookies since 1975-76, beating out Ron Harper's 47 from the 1986-1987 season.

While inefficiency has been a theme, Acuff's continued confidence in himself is something that he advertised coming out of Arkansas.

Following his 33-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers, Acuff received major praise from Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis.

"I told you guys from the get-go, I’m not worried about Darius at all," LaVine said. "You guys can see how talented he is."

Through the opening two games, LaVine is Sacramento's top scorer, averaging over 25 points per game and looking dynamic alongside his new point guard.

LaVine was complimentary of Acuff during the offseason, while saying that the NBA world will be seeing "a lot more" of what the No. 7 overall pick can do.

Sabonis, who has also had a very strong start to the year, called Acuff a "very, very smart, high-IQ player," seconding LaVine's remarks.

In the Kings' tight loss against Portland, Sabonis joined NBA Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain as the only two players to post a 27-point, 10-assist, 19-rebound triple-double on over 75% shooting.

Acuff and Sabonis have already begun to show a high level of continuity in two-man actions, which was an emphasis heading into the season.

"He can pass, can shoot, knows how to control the tempo...” Sabonis said about Acuff. "He’s doing a great job. He came here today, he bounced back. Proud of him. We just needed to get the win."

While it did not result in a victory, Sabonis playing the offensive hub role and allowing Acuff to run off him on handoffs or screens is a recipe of success going forward, especially if LaVine can continue to provide spacing on the perimeter.

For Acuff, improved efficiency will come, as it is not uncommon for high-usage guards to experience some growing pains early in their NBA transitions.

Acuff's continued focus on winning rather than individual performance is a promising sign for a young player, and a guard that the front office clearly believes in.

The Kings are back in action Sunday night, taking on the undefeated Memphis Grizzlies.

Eighth-year point Grizzlies point guard Ty Jerome has been on a tear to start the season, leading the league in scoring at 36.5 points per game.