NBA Rookies: Darius Acuff Jr. Offers Impressive First Impression

Acuff Jr. is coming off an impressive 22 point performance against one of the best defenses in the league.

Nov 2, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) looks on during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Darius Auff Jr., came into the NBA as one the most divisive rookies in his class.

A 6-foot-1 guard prospect, he went No. 7 overall to the Kings. He's gotten off to an interesting start, averaging over 25 points per game but on an inefficient 50% true shooting from the field. Within his first handful of games, he's already made some headlines, but unfortunately for the wrong reasons. Because of the amount of shot attempts he has taken, he's already being labeled as a ball hog and a losing player. And there has been a lot of criticism levied his way. 

This first started with Draymond Green having a moment with him at half court questioning some of his shot selection and his reluctance to involve his teammates in the offense. "Who else touched the ball that possession?"

Then Jeff Teague had his own criticism: “Have you ever seen a rookie do that? Five for 24 is insane. You're out of pocket, bro”.

Now there's been reports about Domantas Sabonis wanting out of Sacramento and his concerns stemming from the new offensive system built around Acuff. It's also worth noting that the Kings lost their first six games. They are statistically one of the worst teams in NBA history thus far. They may not finish the year off that way, but it definitely feels as if they're heading that direction.

Acuff has the most shot attempts in NBA history throughout the first three games of a player's career with 74. Then on top of that, when it comes to average seconds per touch, it is higher than Jalen Brunson. So in many regards, he is taking more shots than basically anybody else in the NBA. As a 19 year old, he's dominating the ball more so than basically anybody else in the NBA. On top of the shot attempts, he's not been very efficient either. He currently shoots 40% from the field and 31% from the three point line.

In his defense, the “empty stats” or “ stat padding” label is pretty lazy. He got drafted to a losing environment with an existing core that doesn't necessarily fit together. The Kings current team personnel is set up to put Acuff on-ball full time and has given him more offensive responsibility than his peers by necessity. The same was said about Lamelo Ball early in his career until he changed that narrative last season.

Acuff is one of the most talented guard prospects in recent draft history. While being a small guard, he has all the tools as an elite shotmaker to set himself apart. Similar to Jalen Brunson, the Kings will need to build a defensive infrastructure around him if they wanna have success deep in the postseason one day to mask his deficiencies.