Sacramento Falls to 0-5 as Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. Shines with 34 Points
Sacramento dropped to 0-5 after a 132-120 loss to New Orleans, but rookie Darius Acuff Jr. shone with 34 points and 14 assists, joining elite company in NBA history.
Sacramento remains winless this season, dropping to a 0-5 record after a 132-120 defeat against New Orleans, but rookie Darius Acuff Jr. continues to give fans a reason to watch. In a column for Hoops Wire, Sam Amico praised the young point guard, the seventh overall pick in the draft, who delivered an impressive performance against the Pelicans with 34 points, 14 assists, and 6 rebounds. While the Kings look like the struggling team in the league, their rookie continues to shoulder the heavy responsibility.
According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, Acuff joined Michael Jordan, Trae Young, and Steve Francis as the only rookies in NBA history to record at least 34 points, 14 assists, 6 rebounds, and a steal in a single game. "It is certainly a respectable list," Amico wrote. "There is no need to start comparing careers yet, but the kid is delivering."
Acuff currently leads all first-year players in the league with averages of 24 points and 6.6 assists per game. His outside shooting still requires improvement, standing at just 22.2% from beyond the arc, but that has not stopped him from creating offensive opportunities.
In fact, Sacramento outscored New Orleans by 3 points during the 41 minutes Acuff was on the floor, despite losing the game overall by a 12-point margin.
"The Kings have quite a few problems to solve around him," Amico concluded, "but after five games into Acuff's career, finding a player capable of both scoring and setting up his teammates does not appear to be one of them."
Sports Illustrated also highlighted Acuff's abilities, with James Macaulay writing: "Acuff looks simply exceptional on offense. The defense is what it is. No one claims he is a good defender, just as no one doubts his self-confidence." Analyst Brett Asher even described the 19-year-old rookie as "a player to build a franchise around" after he became the youngest player in NBA history to record at least 34 points, 14 assists, and 6 rebounds in a single game.
However, not everyone is entirely convinced. Former NBA star Tim Hardaway reacted to the statistic that Acuff took 73 shots in his first three games, breaking Kevin Durant's previous rookie record of 64. "Come on," he remarked upon hearing the numbers.
