A new era has begun, and Darius Acuff Jr. will be a focal point in that new era.
Beginning with a rousing 79-76 victory on the 4thof July over the visiting Nets, Darius Acuff Jr. received by far the most rousing applause from a frenetic Golden One crowd poised to see what the future will look like.
A lot of pressure on young Darius produced a shot that wasn’t falling, and after one quarter Acuff missed all but one shot from the field and contributed a paltry 3 points.
But this crowd was inspired, and as it turns out, so was Darius. Putting doubters to rest, Darius showcased excellent ball handling skills throughout and exhibited court management like a veteran.
What impressed me the most as I sat and watched the Kings #1 draft choice in action, was his determination to get the job done, and seemingly no number of missed shots was going to deter him.
Playing alongside older and more experienced players, this young 19-year-old looked like a much older player as he simply put his head down and refused to quit.
The Nets led this game nearly the entire way, but with less than 3 minutes to play, Acuff sank his first NBA 3-pointer, and would prove to be the margin of victory.
Last years #1 draft choice Nique Clifford made the deciding bucket with a “nothing but net” 3-pointer on an assist from Acuff, but without a doubt Darius had made his presence felt, and his first NBA action ended with a win.
Criticized to some degree for his lack of defense coming in, Acuff showed a natural ability and even looked comfortable on the defensive end of the court.
Overall, the Kings fans were treated to an NBA debut that few will forget, and in spite of not having his best shooting night, Acuff finished the contest with a game high 25 points.
Not to be lost in all of this drama was the electric play of Dylan Cardwell, who picked up where he left off from last year, and kept the Kings in the game with his high intensity play. Without question, Cardwell is an intrinsic key into the success of this year’s team, and his joy for the game is contagious and enthusiastic.
Stepping from the shadows was the almost forgotten man, 45thin the draft Emanuel Sharp, who added a well received 13 points and played a brand of defense the Sacramento Kings have been hoping to see for ages.
Defense seemed to come naturally for young Sharp, and he seemed to be everywhere at once. At 6’3” and 210 lbs., Emanuel looked every bit of the NBA ready guard he appears to be, and what a welcome sight that is for a team that has struggled with defense like few other teams.
Although Alex Karaban did not see action due to a rolled ankle, both Acuff and Sharp carried the day and opened more than a few eyes, as the Kings did something that the Sacramento fans saw little of a year ago. They actually closed out a game.
The second game of summer league saw the Kings face their archrival, the Golden State Warriors, and although Darius Acuff was given the night off, once again Emanuel Sharp came to play, and just as the Kings had done the night before, they came from behind to post a solid 91-85 victory.
The final game at Golden One will take place on Monday night, and I expect to see Darius Acuff back in action. Look for attendance to be good as Kings fans are feeling the crescendo that is taking place with a bevy of rookies that are vying for a spot of the big squad.
It’s hard to wish for more positivity than this young squad has presented to the Sacramento faithful in the first two games, but if you haven’t been paying close attention so far, it’s not to soon to get excited.
These guys don’t like to lose, and that kind of energy is contagious.
Now surround them with the likes of Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, and Zach Lavine, and watch the temperature go up.
The real question is how many times will this new unit light the beam this year?
Stay tuned Kings fans, because the fun is just getting started!
All the best!
V.G. Harris
Vince Harris is an area resident and the author of Kings Korner, a regular column in Folsom Times that gives readers a look at the happenings on the court and behind the scenes of the Sacramento Kings.
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