Former NBA Star John Wall Has Unparalleled Praise for Kings' Darius Acuff Jr.

The Sacramento Kings took a chance on Darius Acuff Jr. with the seventh overall pick, and while there are some early concerns about his game, it is hard to say it was a bad pick. The 19-year-old point guard has the tools to be an offensive star at the NBA level, and Kings fans are not the only people to have that optimism.

Former NBA All-Star John Wall, who, like Acuff Jr., played for well-respected head coach John Calipari in college, had very high praise for the new Kings guard.

"I told Coach Cal yesterday, I said, 'You've had a lot of great guards that were super fast and athletic. He's the best scoring point guard you've had by far.' He's got the midrange, got the floater, [and] can shoot the three. ... He can definitely score the ball, though, for sure. He scores it man," Wall said on the broadcast of Sacramento's Summer League matchup with the Washington Wizards.

John Wall on Darius Acuff Jr:

"I told coach Cal...you've had a lot of great guards that were super fast and athletic. He's the best scoring point guard you've had by far on all 3 levels, got the midrange, got the floater, can shoot the 3. He scores it man"…
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) July 13, 2026

There is no question that Acuff Jr. is a wildly impressive offensive talent, who became just the second player to ever lead the SEC in both points and assists per game, joining "Pistol" Pete Maravich. However, this praise from Wall is one of the best things Kings fans could hear about their new franchise point guard.

Coach Cal's NBA guards

For context, Calipari has coached a slew of NBA star guards, which is what makes Wall's statement so special. Here is a look at a full list of the most notable guards to play for Calipari:

Derrick Rose*^
John Wall*
Tyreke Evans
Eric Bledsoe
Brandon Knight
Devin Booker*
Jamal Murray*
De'Aaron Fox*
Malik Monk
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander*^
Tyler Herro*
Tyrese Maxey*
Immanuel Quickley
Shaedon Sharpe
Cason Wallace
Reed Sheppard

* NBA All-Star selection
^ NBA MVP winner

Some of the best guards in the NBA played for Calipari in college, and the Kings can only hope that Acuff Jr. joins them among the league's best. And, coming from Wall, he has the offensive skill set to do so.

Acuff's Summer League performance

Acuff Jr. immediately put on an offensive show through two games in the California Classic Summer League infront of the home Sacramento crowd, scoring 47 total points and dishing out seven assists. While there were some efficiency concerns, he showed off his elite ability to get to his spots and score the ball, which is exactly what the Kings wanted to see.

No. 7 overall pick Darius Acuff Jr. had a game-high 25 points in his California Classic debut🌴

Sacramento defeats Brooklyn! pic.twitter.com/jle9sbGz3a
— NBA (@NBA) July 5, 2026

Through three games in Las Vegas, though, he was a bit more up and down. In his first two games, he scored 31 points with four rebounds and 11 assists, but shot just 29.4% from the field and 23.1% from beyond the arc while turning the ball over nine times.

In his Summer League finale before getting shut down, he was much more impressive, dropping 26 points and five assists on a more-efficient 9-18 shooting from the field.

Acuff Jr. will certainly need to find more consistency throughout his rookie season, but luckily, the Kings are in no rush to compete. As long as Acuff Jr. shows flashes as a rookie and continues to improve, along with the rest of Sacramento's young core, then there will be plenty to be excited about.

Regardless, if his offensive game pans out as Wall expects it to, the Kings might have a legitimate NBA star on their hands.

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