Last Night's Harsh Reminder - Things Are Going to Take Awhile for Kings

Summer League couldn't have gotten off to a better start for the Sacramento Kings. They won their first four games; Darius Acuff Jr. had electric moments that showed why he was the seventh pick in the draft; Dylan Cardwell looks ready to step into a bigger role as a second-year big; and Emanuel Sharp already looks like a draft-day steal from the second round.

But last night was a crash back down to earth to remind the Kings and fans that this rebuild and reshaping of the roster isn't going to happen overnight. They fell big to the Washington Wizards, 104-85, for their first loss of the exhibition season. And it was a particularly ugly loss.

Maxime Raynaud made his debut and impressed with 20 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal, but Sacramento couldn't keep up with AJ Dybantsa and Will Riley en route to the loss, and one of the biggest talking points of the game is once again the defense of Acuff.

Defensive Lapses

So far from Acuff, we've seen both ends of the spectrum of his defensive abilities. When he's fully engaged and locked in, he can stay in front of his man and get a stop, but when that switch flips off, it's like a lightbulb going out and leaving a room pitch black.

On three consecutive possessions Acuff:

- closes out lazily on his man who passes it to an open Camden. Acuff doesn't make an effort to run at him to cover for Sharp
- misses layup & takes his time getting up
- takes 8 seconds to re-enter frame while his teammates defend 4-on-5 https://t.co/womg6w69k3 pic.twitter.com/KYWUJkAxms
— J r u e (@thatl0calguy) July 13, 2026

Thankfully for the Kings, this is just Summer League, but it's a trend that everyone will be watching closely as the season continues. Acuff has said repeatedly that he wants to improve on the defensive side of the ball, and now is the time to put his money where his mouth is. Efforts like the above aren't going to cut it if the Kings are going to crawl out of the NBA basement, especially as the season goes on.

It's not necessarily a surprise to see Acuff struggle so much, as he's going to be battling years-long habits to become a better defender. He's not going to just magically become an All-NBA defender, or even an average one; it's going to take some time. Seeing him struggle so much last night isn't ideal, but it doesn't mean he's going to be a draft-day bust. If he's still putting in that kind of defensive effort 50 games into the season, or even worse, a year or two down the line, then we can talk.

More Than Just Acuff

It's not just Acuff who will have to improve and likely have lapses throughout the beginning of the year. The Kings are a young team with a lot to learn, and it's going to take time for them to grow and build together. Their lives aren't made easier with the mix of veterans still in the mix, too, as the likes of Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and Malik Monk all have question marks about their futures in Sacramento.

It's easy to see the Summer League success that the Kings have had so far and start thinking about adding the talented veterans to the mix, but even if those vets lead the Kings back to playoff contention, that wouldn't necessarily help the Kings and their long-term goals.

So not only do the Kings need to be patient with their young players developing, but they also need to continue to be patient with their roster. This offseason was never going to be a one-stop shop fix that miraculously made the Kings into championship contenders. It's just the start, and last night was a good reminder of how much work is left for everyone involved.

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