Darius Acuff Jr. drops 25 points, eight assists

Outside of a solid finish to the first half, Acuff struggled mightily on Thursday. The rookie point guard missed his first nine field-goal attempts, and he finished with more turnovers (three) than assists (one). Reading too much into two preseason appearances would be foolish, but those who roster Acuff will need to exercise patience.

As expected, Acuff started at point guard in the Kings’ preseason opener. The lottery pick out of Arkansas led the team in shot attempts, which was unsurprising since he logged 27 minutes and no other starter played more than 15. Acuff shot reasonably well from the field overall, but he went 1-of-4 from beyond the arc and finished with more turnovers (five) than assists (four). Efficiency can be an issue for rookie point guards, but it seems clear Acuff will be given every opportunity to work through those struggles.

The report indicates the Kings are interested in adding a veteran mentor for Darius Acuff Jr., who they just selected with the 7th overall pick. Westbrook and Oladipo have experienced a lot during their NBA careers, so either would be a good locker room presence for Acuff to have around. However, with Acuff as the priority, neither would likely play enough to make much of an impact in fantasy basketball.

Acuff had a good afternoon in Las Vegas, but he did not have much help in a game the Kings lost by 32 points. The seventh overall pick in last month’s draft, Acuff shot the ball well against the Nets but finished with as many turnovers as assists (five). Given who he has shared the court with in Las Vegas, Acuff is likely to benefit from the Kings’ veterans being on the floor when the regular season kicks off. Efficiency can be an issue for rookie point guards, but the opportunity makes Acuff one of the top fantasy rookies in this class.

Acuff once again carried the offensive load for Sacramento, though he was once again inefficient as a scorer. He did more as a playmaker, matching his assist total from his two previous games in this one alone. He also contributed some defensive stats and had some solid moments on that end of the floor. However, Acuff has shot below 40 percent from the floor in all three of his summer league appearances. He’s an immensely talented offensive player, but his fantasy impact will be limited by his field goal percentage, especially early in his career.

After getting up 29 shots in his summer debut, Acuff toned it down a bit on Monday. The rookie guard shot 4-of-9 from beyond the arc but was just 3-of-10 from two, and he also committed more turnovers (four) than assists. Given where the Kings are, next season will be a rebuilding one for the franchise. While that bodes well for Acuff’s playing time, fantasy managers should be prepared to take a hit in the efficiency stats.

The Kings’ first-round pick last month certainly wasn’t afraid to let it fly in his debut for the team. Acuff showcased plenty of offensive ability during his freshman season at Arkansas, and while he didn’t get many assists in this game, he did have one to Nique Clifford with just five seconds left to win the game. Acuff is a talented offensive player, and if he continues to have this type of mentality, he’ll put up gaudy numbers as a rookie, even if they come inefficiently.

Acuff’s lone season at Arkansas was an outstanding one, especially once postseason play began. The SEC Player of the Year, Acuff led the Razorbacks to an SEC tournament title and a trip to the Sweet 16. A consensus first-team All-American, he averaged 23.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.5 three-pointers per game, shooting 48.4 percent from the field, 44.0 percent from three and 80.9 percent from the foul line. Acuff is an uber-talented offensive player that should have the keys to the team from day one. There is plenty of potential for him to post some gaudy counting stats as a rookie, though he may face some of the efficiency issues that many rookie guards deal with.