Darius Acuff Jr. Called His Own Summer League Debut ‘Terrible’ Even After a Win. Here’s Why That Matters.

The Sacramento Kings won their NBA Summer League opener against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, 91-85. Most rookies would be happy with that. Darius Acuff Jr. isn’t most rookies.

The No. 7 pick out of Arkansas put up 19 points, seven assists, three rebounds, two steals and a block in 28 minutes. That stat line looks solid. But Acuff shot 6-for-20 from the field, and that’s all he could focus on.

“I gotta be better. I’m playing terrible. Too inefficient. Make more shots in a row and get my teammates involved more,” Acuff said after the game.

That kind of self-criticism is rare for a 19-year-old. He’d just come off a perfect three-game run in the California Classic where he looked sharp. The Kings went undefeated there. But he didn’t carry that momentum into Vegas the way he wanted.

Acuff has drawn comparisons to Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard since college. He would be the first to tell you he’s not there yet. Probably won’t be for a while. But the fact that he sees the gap clearly and says it out loud? That’s a good sign for a rookie who’s going to get a real chance in Sacramento.

Why the Kings can afford to let him figure it out

Sacramento waived DeMar DeRozan earlier this offseason, which opened up a lot of minutes in the backcourt. Acuff might not start right away, but he’ll get run. The Kings are clearly building around youth and athleticism, and Acuff fits that profile better than most.

His self-assessment Thursday wasn’t just about his shooting. He mentioned getting teammates involved more. That’s the playmaker mentality the Kings drafted him for. He already had seven assists in this game, but he wants more. That’s the kind of thing coaches notice.

Emanuel Sharp led the Kings in scoring with 21 points plus four steals. Dylan Cardwell added 15 points and nine rebounds. Jonathan Mogbo chipped in 12 points and seven boards. But the story of the night was Acuff holding himself accountable in public.

What’s next for Acuff and the Kings

The Kings play the Washington Wizards on Sunday. They’re undefeated in Summer League so far. Acuff will have another chance to clean up his efficiency and prove his California Classic performance was the real version of himself.

If he shoots better? Great. If he doesn’t? He’ll probably say he played terrible again. That’s just who he is.