Darius Acuff Jr. Shares the Good and Bad From Kings Debut vs. Lakers

The Sacramento Kings' 2026 preseason did not get off to a good start. They suffered a crushing 127-103 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, allowing Luka Doncic to score 21 points in just 16 minutes, but the final result is not what actually matters from this game.

Of course, head coach Doug Christie has assured that the Kings are trying to win every game, even these preseason matches, but Monday's loss is not the end of the world. In fact, there is a much more positive takeaway from the team's preseason opener: Darius Acuff Jr.

The 19-year-old rookie point guard finished his preseason debut with 19 points, two rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block, shooting 8-17 from the field and 1-4 from beyond the arc with five turnovers. Given that it was his first non-Summer League action at the NBA level, Acuff Jr. was impressive.

The Good

Oct 5, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) controls the ball during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The biggest positive was certainly how comfortable Acuff Jr. looked. After the game, he talked about his confidence in himself and from the team, which allowed him to stay comfortable in his preseason debut.

"They give me the confidence to go out there and be aggressive and not just be cool. I've got to go out there and be aggressive because that's what's best for our team," Acuff Jr. said. "I went out there and did that. It was working."

Considering it was his first real NBA action, Acuff Jr. looked very comfortable. Unlike what we saw in the Summer League, the 19-year-old did not get sped up and was able to play at his own pace, which created a lot of good looks for him and his teammates.

Darius Acuff Jr. shined in the first half of his NBA preseason debut!

17 PTS (8-14 FGM)
3 AST pic.twitter.com/xhNbxEw6Cl
— NBA (@NBA) October 6, 2026

Offensively, the Kings will be dangerous when Acuff Jr. is on the court, especially with other offensive-minded stars like Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis, but the rookie guard was quick to admit they need to work on their defense.

The Bad

Of course, any Kings fan could've told you that the team's defense would be bad this season. Sure, we can hope that it improves from what we saw last season, but a starting lineup led by Acuff Jr., LaVine, and Sabonis will not be good defensively. After just one game with this team, Acuff Jr. noted that they need to improve defensively.

"The only thing that really separated was defense. I think I've got to do better on that side," he said. "We've all got to do better as a collective group. I think it just takes communication."

Darius Acuff Jr. said his teammates and coaches give him confidence to be aggressive.

“I gotta go out there and be aggressive because that’s what’s best for our team, so I went out there and did that. It was working.”

Also said he’s “gotta do better” on defense: pic.twitter.com/oO7ONzHGHH
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) October 6, 2026

Acuff Jr. also mentioned that he had too many turnovers on Monday night, but that is something that should improve with time. The defense, however, will remain the biggest concern for this team.

"I don't think offense is the problem. I think defensively, we just weren't racking up stops as a team as much as we needed to. I think that's kind of what separated the game. I think offensively we'll be fine," Acuff Jr. said.

The Kings drafted Acuff Jr. with the seventh pick, well aware of his defensive woes. He is an offensive star, which showed in his preseason debut, but he will not help the team's defense. Until they surround him with improved defenders, which is where guys like Keegan Murray, Ben Simmons, Dylan Cardwell, and Emanuel Sharp come in, this will continue to be an issue.

The good news, though, is that Acuff Jr. looked comfortable offensively, which is exactly what the team and fanbase wanted to see in his preseason debut.

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