Darius Acuff Jr. has wasted no time establishing himself as the primary engine for the Sacramento Kings, though his entry into the history books comes with a mixture of unprecedented opportunity and significant shooting struggles. In his first three professional outings, Acuff attempted 73 field goals, setting a new NBA record for the most shots taken by a player in their first three career games over the last 50 years.
The previous benchmark for early-career volume was held by Kevin Durant, who recorded 64 attempts during his rookie season. Acuff eclipsed that mark following a 23-shot performance during the Kings’ 123-112 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. The rookie’s workload has been consistently high since the season opener, as he logged 24 field goal attempts against the LA Clippers and followed that with 26 against the Portland Trail Blazers before the weekend match against Memphis.
While the rookie’s willingness to take charge has earned him a prominent place as an offensive leader, his efficiency has remained a major point of concern for Sacramento. Despite averaging 22.3 points per game—a high scoring output for any debutante—Acuff has connected on only 24 of his 73 total shots, resulting in a 32.9% field goal percentage.
The struggles are even more pronounced from beyond the arc. Acuff has made only four of his 27 three-point attempts, a 14.8% conversion rate. These shooting woes have coincided with a difficult start for the franchise, as the Kings have dropped their first three games of the season to sit at 0-3.
Beyond the scoring volume, Acuff is being utilized heavily, averaging 35.9 minutes per game. His early stat line also includes 4.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds per contest. While Acuff has been given a massive green light to lead the offense, that volume has yet to translate into the win column for the winless Kings. The team will look to secure its first victory of the season on Tuesday when they face the San Antonio Spurs.
