During the Sacramento Kings' third straight loss of the regular season, it's been noted that Darius Acuff Jr. has set a couple of key milestones. Both have to do with the high number of shots he's taken in those games. Unfortunately, those records don't really have anything to do with how many he sank.
The Kings drafted Acuff seventh overall to become their new point guard. Across the Summer League and preseason, he showed flashes of brilliance that demonstrated what he's capable of. That being said, he's still got a lot of work to do to find his consistency and rhythm in the NBA.
What Acuff does seem to have right now is a mix of confidence and aggression. He's not afraid to shoot, which is a huge step on the path to success. Acuff has actually set a record for the number of shots taken by a rookie in his first three games at 74. He's also the first to shoot 20+ in each game.
While that's pretty cool, the problem is what he's actually putting in the basket. Last night, he went nine for 23 from the field against the Grizzlies. The Kings would probably rather have him setting records for the number of shots he's sinking, not just the shots he's taking.
Quality is just as important in quantity in the NBA
There's no doubt that seeing Acuff take a lot of shots is a good thing. You can't score on the shots you don't take. It's also important for Acuff's development in the league. Being successful in the NBA isn't the same as being successful in college ball. He needs to work that out on the court.
Yes, there are positives to him taking all of these shots. It will take time for him to find his rhythm, and Acuff will be incredibly dangerous when he does. But it's also safe to say that the rest of the team would be happier seeing him take fewer shots to sink close to the same number of them.
This is particularly true on threes. Acuff is doing terribly from the three-point arc, going zero for seven, two for 11, and two for nine in his first NBA games. Sadly, two for nine against the Grizzlies was his best showing from long distance. It might be good for him to dial back the threes for now.
On top of that, Acuff should also be looking at his game beyond simply shooting. There will come a time when Domantas Sabonis is no longer on the team, and Acuff needs to be ready to run the offense. For now, step one is the shooting. Everything else will flow from there.
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