Sacramento Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr. has lived up to the hype in his rookie year. Acuff has been a bright spot for the Kings, although his scoring exploits have not translated into wins. Still, it has become clear that Acuff has the tools to be a franchise player.

The No. 7 pick is averaging 26.2 points, which is tied for eighth-best in the league, along with Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome.

His efficiency, however, could be improved, as he is shooting only 41.8% from the field. He is attempting 22.8 shots per game, more than New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, and Miami Heat forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Former NBA forward Michael Beasley said Acuff would be more effective if he took fewer shots.

“I would like to see him take just a little less shots. Because he can do it so well. M*********** is nice. One thing I didn't learn is, in order to sacrifice two, three, or four shots for an assist, for a spurt on defense, it takes you further than what you think 25 points and a loss is going to take you,” said Beasley on “3s and Ones.”

“If they're (teammates) upset with you, they ain't going to be playing with you. They ain't going to be playing for you. You win 10, 15, 20 games, maybe. You may get your contract. You may not. It's the thin line between becoming Michael Beasley and just a scorer off the bench and Kevin Durant.”

Michael Beasley says rookie Darius Acuff Jr. should take fewer shots and involve his teammates, cautioning there's a thin line between becoming a bench scorer or a superstar like Kevin Durant

“I would like to see him take a little less shots. One thing I didn't learn is in order… pic.twitter.com/b4K7CC8BMc

— dank (@cptdankkk) November 12, 2026

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It was a fair warning for the 19-year-old newcomer. After all, Beasley should know. He did not live up to his full potential as the No. 2 pick, as he focused solely on scoring instead of embracing the other facets of the game.

Acuff has been pretty solid in other departments, as he is averaging 3.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.0 steals.

The Kings are sputtering with a 1-10 record, and Acuff might want to consider tinkering with his approach and see if it would lead to wins.