The entire point of the Sacramento Kings signing a veteran point guard was to act as a backup to and mentor for rookie Darius Acuff Jr. Well, the Kings went with Ben Simmons, who should make a solid backup for Acuff. The problem is being a mentor for him, which is outside Simmons' wheelhouse.
When the Kings hit the 2026 NBA Draft, the goal was to get a new starting point guard. They didn't have room in the salary cap to get a free agent, and still don't. They tried trading, but no one was interested in overpaying for either Zach LaVine or Domantas Sabonis. So, drafting was the only path
Scott Perry ended up using the Kings' seventh overall pick to select Acuff, a high-energy playmaker and prolific scorer who needs work on his defense. It's like he was built in a lab to play for Sacramento. But a rookie needs support, especially one expected to lead from the jump.
That's where Simmons comes in. Before signing him, the Kings didn't have a single other dedicated point guard on the roster to back up Acuff. Simmons can play off the bench and provide Acuff with support. The other part of the equation is Simmons being a mentor, which is where this gets dicey.
Simmons may not be the right player to mentor Acuff
Before years of injuries took their toll on Simmons' game, he was an elite playmaker with unparalleled on-court vision who dished out lockdown defense. Then the barrage of injuries came, costing him his explosiveness, his scoring, and his versatility. Everything declined dramatically.
That was then, and this is now. Simmons stepped away from the NBA for a full season to rest and recuperate. People who attended his recent workouts said he looked great. That doesn't tell anyone where his mental game is at, which is arguably the bigger issue at this point in his career.
After missing so much time, Simmons lost a lot of confidence. More than that, there have been consistent questions about his commitment to previous teams, something the 76ers can speak to. The focus for Simmons will be getting his own house in order, not developing Acuff.
The end result is Simmons filling only one of two roles the Kings did need him to, and Acuff left without a mentor. Simmons has to stay healthy to even be an effective backup. With Cam Payne, who could be both, still a free agent, it's enough to make one wonder why the Kings went with Simmons.
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