The NBA preseason is often a time when players and teams take things slow. Stars and veterans play limited minutes, while squads tweak lineups and get longer looks at fringe players and those they may consider for two-way and even Exhibit 10 contracts. 

But for Darius Acuff Jr., this was the perfect time to introduce himself to the league.  

You’d be tempted to describe Acuff Jr.’s preseason debut as aggressive, but he looked more comfortable running the offense and finding his shot. He just needed to figure out some other things. 

It’s not like the Los Angeles Lakers were holding back either, as they were showing what their new lineup could offer now that LeBron James finally left the team. 

Acuff Jr. made quite the impression that the Sacramento Kings either decided not to let him tip his hand this early or preserve his health for more meaningful games. But then again, it’s likely that it’s a combination of both. 

The former Arkansas Razorback was a menace and a playmaker. He was the third-highest leading scorer in the US NCAA last season (23.5 points per game) and was in the top-15 in the nation in assists per game (6.4). While Acuff Jr. did not have any major injuries in his lone year at the University of Arkansas, the Kings would prefer to exercise caution even this early. 

After all, Sacramento seems to put a lot of trust into Acuff Jr. He is likely to be the primary point guard even with Ben Simmons, who is focused on making a return to the NBA, and Elfrid Payton Jr. on the roster. Domantas Sabonis is a playmaker as well, and Acuff Jr.’s skillset fits in perfectly when the Kings want to switch things up. 

Sacramento has had a recent history of selecting solid guards in De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, but the Kings have moved on from both already. Whether or not they were able to really maximize or take care of both is a story for another time, but Sacramento would want to take care of this one. Beyond just focusing on Acuff Jr.’s health, the Kings already have a solid roster that was just one player or two from returning to postseason contention. 

Darius Acuff Jr. could be that final piece, and it certainly looked that way in his first preseason game with the Sacramento Kings. Yes, the score against the Los Angeles Lakers was lopsided and not in their favor, but there were some promising signs from the Kings. 

Time is still on their side, and if Sacramento remains patient with this one, they may actually have the guard that sticks and brings them back to the path of success.