SACRAMENTO — Darius Acuff Jr.’s comments after his NBA Summer League debut in Las Vegas quickly circulated on the internet.<\/p>\n
“I got to be better, I’m playing terrible,” Acuff said after scoring 19 points in a win against the Los Angeles Clippers on July 9.<\/p>\n
The viral statement would become symbolic of the type of player Acuff is, and three months later, the Kings rookie maintained that same mindset after dropping a game-high 33 points in Sacramento’s home-opening loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night at Golden 1 Center.<\/p>\n
“It was good, but s–t, don\u2019t matter. We lost,” Acuff said postgame. “Ain\u2019t nothing I want more than a win.\u201d<\/p>\n
He still seeks his first win of his young NBA career, as the Kings fell to 0-2 on the season after Friday’s 128-120 loss.<\/a><\/p>\n But that mindset isn’t surprising to those close to Acuff, who know and admire his competitive spirit.<\/p>\n “He’s special,” Kings coach Doug Christie said postgame. “He wants to win. He wants to be good. All that matters is winning. If he didn’t score 33, and he scored 13 and we won, he’d be happy. But at the same time, if he would have scored 44 and we won, he would have been happy. The bottom line is he wants to compete and win.<\/p>\n “And as a young player and as a leader, it’s a vital component of his character and who he is that he continues to show these guys that all I’m here to do is win. Whatever it’s going to take, that’s what I’m willing to do.”<\/p>\n Acuff followed up a 21-percent shooting night<\/a> with a 38.5-percent shooting performance. It still isn’t where he wants and knows it can be, but he — nor any single person affiliated with the Kings — is worried about his scoring ability.<\/p>\n “I told you guys from the get-go I’m not worried about Darius at all,” Kings guard Zach LaVine said. “You guys can see how talented he is. He has the mentality of, he doesn’t let things bug him. A lot of shots he took in Game 1, he just didn’t make. He even started off slow [today], and it didn’t stop him. He made a lot of plays down the stretch that helped us stick in the game. I’m proud of him. You’re going to see a lot more of it.”<\/p>\n The general concern from Game 1 stemmed not from Acuff’s shooting struggles, but more from his playmaking and inability to get the offense going.<\/p>\n A large part of getting Sacramento’s offense going centers around Domantas Sabonis, who shared that he had several conversations with his rookie about how to do just that. Sabonis and several other Kings players preached patience with Acuff as the 19-year-old rookie tries to figure it out.<\/p>\n Acuff took a step in the right direction two nights later, leading a much more complete offense Friday night.<\/p>\n “I think it’s a good combination,” Christie said. “Domas’ playmaking ability, Darius’ creativity on and off the ball. So, you know, if they’re going to blitz him or different things, he can play the get game and pass it, and Domas has the ability to make those plays, hand it off, pass it late. Then Domas is a rolling threat. Darius is a threat from behind arc and in the mid-range and finishing at the basket.<\/p>\n “So good, good combination. There’s a lot of good stuff there for those two, for sure.”<\/p>\n The blips remained, and it definitely wasn’t perfect, but Acuff and Sabonis gave a glimpse into what could be a very special duo in Sacramento.<\/p>\n “He’s very, very smart,” Sabonis said of Acuff. “A high-IQ player at the point guard position, he can pass and shoot, knows how to control the tempo. So, you know, my job is to get him open and try and make life easier for him. And he’s doing a great job. He came here today and he bounced back, so I’m proud of him.”<\/p>\n The respect is mutual.<\/p>\n “Speaking of Domas, he’s unbelievable,” Acuff said of Sabonis. “The stat line he had, the chemistry with him is great. He makes everybody better on the floor, so that’s definitely a great teammate to have in my first year, for sure.”<\/p>\n Sabonis recorded his first triple-double (of likely many) this season on Friday, finishing with 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists. He shot an efficient 10-of-13 from the field.<\/p>\n “I played with some talented bigs for sure, but I mean, it’s the NBA, so it’s a whole other level,” Acuff said. “He’s an All-Star, All-NBA player. I seen him growing up, and to be on his team is a blessing. To see how much he creates for others, he creates for himself. Like I said, the stat line he had today, that was crazy. <\/p>\n “So, you know, a blessing to have him for sure.”<\/p>\n Christie feels the same way.<\/p>\n “He means a lot [to us] because there’s a spirit in Domas that you can feel when he’s playing,” Christie said. “He wants to play fast. He wants to make decisions, and it’s beneficial, especially for a young point guard, to have somebody like that. Because sometimes maybe there’s not a secondary ball-handler out there, so now we can play through Domas in open sets and elbow sets, and it allows us to split. <\/p>\n “I thought the energy of our splitting tonight, putting pressure on the rim, was fantastic. Collapse the defense and spray it out, but the consistency at making sure that you do that, which takes a little patience, it’s like, let him get down there. Domas catches it. Now we have to fly around. We just have to do it more often, and he affects the game in so many ways. That’s how you end up with triple-doubles and all of that.”<\/p>\n Sabonis played just 19 games last season after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.<\/p>\n Before then, the fewest games he had ever played in his 11-year NBA career was 62 with the Indiana Pacers. He played 79, 82 and 70 in his previous three full seasons with Sacramento, respectively.<\/p>\n Now, he’s making the most of his time on the court — something he won’t ever take for granted.<\/p>\n “It just feels amazing, you know; I’m grateful,” Sabonis said. “My kids are watching; my wife’s out there. I never had surgery in my whole career, so to be out for that long definitely was tough. And I love the fans, love my teammates, love the coaching staff. They really make me feel good.”<\/p>\n Year 11 <\/p>\n Win or lose, ups and downs, I don\u2019t take this for granted. <\/p>\n \ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udffc<\/p>\n