Will Kings Rookie PG Acuff Lead All Rookies in Scoring?

With the Sacramento Kings' regular season tipping off on Wednesday night, the Sac Town fans will be looking for a strong debut game from rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr.

Throughout the offseason, the Kings' No. 7 overall pick has looked the part as Sacramento's lead guard of the future, displaying his dynamic scoring ability and playmaking.

In the NBA Preseason, Acuff led all rookies in scoring with 17.3 points per game, joining Oklahoma City Thunder first-year center Aday Mara as the only two players in the class to eclipse 17.

Overall, Acuff was the No. 14 scorer in all of the preseason, competing against some of the top offensive talent in the NBA.

Roundtable's Demetrius Montero also recently noted Acuff's potentially historic usage, which will only be on the rise with the unfortunate injury news about Ben Simmons.

Victor Wembanyama has the highest usage rate as a rookie in NBA history, posting a 32.2% metric for the San Antonio Spurs.

He averaged 21.4 points on 16.7 shots per game, shooting 46.5% from the field.

Acuff topped that number in the Kings' three preseason bouts he appeared in, registering a 32.4% rate.

In Sacramento's preseason opener, an ugly loss, Acuff shined through the team's defensive struggles, scoring 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting, while adding four assists, a steal, and a block.

He looked extremely confident on the offensive end, playing at his own pace, and getting downhill at a high success rate.

Following the game, Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Quentin Grimes praised Acuff, while saying that he doesn't play like a rookie.

"Just his poise. He don’t really get speed up, kinda picks his spots…" Grimes said. "Definitely a good sight to see for that team. Definitely didn't seem like he was a rookie at all in his first preseason game."

Acuff's level of maturity and focus has been a big talking point throughout the offseason, with people around the team talking about his work ethic and drive being one of his best attributes.

Head coach Doug Christie was asked about what he liked from Acuff in his fist preseason game, where he said "His poise is at a really high level, and he’s not ducking the smoke. He’s not scared. He is about his business."

While it is only preseason, Acuff did show a good level of energy on the defensive end, while his steal and block show increased engagement.

Dating back to college, Acuff has been endorsed by his coaches, with Arkansas head coach John Calipari being no exception.

Calipari has been extremely supportive of his latest NBA guard talent, predicting Acuff averages a minimum of 18 points and eight assists as a rookie.

This certainly feels attainable for Acuff, while a bit more in the scoring department would propel him to potential rookie of the year discussions.