The usage rate leaders list through the first two and a half weeks of the NBA season features some familiar and expected names: Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards (four games), Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Stephen Curry round out the top five, with Brandon Miller and Jayson Tatum not far behind.

However, the name below them might come as a surprise. Kings rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr., who has a 31.6% usage rate through the first eight games, is No. 8 on the list. 

The only other rookie in the top 40 is Bulls forward Caleb Wilson (No. 38).

Here are the last five players to win NBA Rookie of the Year, along with their respective usage rates.

Even with a sample size that represents barely 10% of the season, what Acuff is doing will likely be sustainable, as he's being asked to do more than any rookie in his class on the offensive end of the floor. It's for that reason that his play has drawn eyeballs and why everybody seems to have an opinion — whether it's positive, negative, or maybe even somewhere in between — on him.

Grading every NBA lottery pick's first two weeks as impressive 2026 rookie class dazzles early

Cameron Salerno

Is the 19-year-old guard a perfect rookie? Absolutely not. But he is just eight games into his NBA career and is posting numbers that get him in the same conversation as players like Dončić, LeBron James and Oscar Robertson.

After finishing with 22 points and 12 assists in a loss to the Lakers on Wednesday, Acuff became the fastest NBA player in NBA history to reach at least 200 points and 50 assists. It's hard to imagine he won't be writing his name into the record books across his rookie season.

If you watched Acuff at Arkansas, this was expected

As someone who watched Acuff throughout his entire college career at Arkansas, I'm not surprised to see the numbers he is putting up in the NBA. Acuff was just the second SEC player (and the first since Pete Maravich) to average at least 22 points and six assists per game in a season.

John Calipari has coached plenty of outstanding one-and-done guards during his time at Memphis, Kentucky and Arkansas, including Gilgeous-Alexander, Devin Booker, Derrick Rose, De'Aaron Fox, Jamal Murray, John Wall, and Tyrese Maxey. Simply put: if you're an elite high school guard prospect, you want to play for Coach Cal.

Acuff's season at Arkansas had him in the conversation for the best freshman guard Calipari has coached. Does that mean he's going to become a two-time NBA MVP like SGA or a multi-time NBA All-Star like the other names on that list? The jury is still out, but his college production — on both ends of the floor — is similar to what we are seeing play out in the NBA.

For starters, Arkansas didn't have a deep roster, which meant Acuff was on the floor a lot. He played just over 35 minutes per game, which is slightly less than he's playing with Sacramento right now. The same depth issues Acuff experienced at Arkansas are what he's dealing with in the NBA with his new team.

The Kings don't have a true backup point guard, which means Acuff is playing more than anybody else on the roster. When Acuff comes off the floor, Sacramento has been playing Malik Monk as the de facto point guard — a role he has filled in spot minutes throughout his time with the Kings.

Darius Acuff Jr. has entered the conversation for the best freshman guard John Calipari has coached

Cameron Salerno

Ben Simmons was also expected to be in Sacramento's starting lineup this season, where he could've taken on some of the ball-handling duties in the first and second units, but he suffered a torn Achilles days before the 2026-27 season began. That leaves Acuff, most nights, to play the entire fourth quarter and run the offense with a team full of players who can't create their own shot.

While Acuff's offensive game is as good as anybody in his class, the knock on him during the pre-draft process was his defense. It showed up throughout his time at Arkansas, but in Acuff's defense (no pun intended), he was asked to be the primary engine of the offense while staying on the floor for most of the game.

In Sacramento, it's been more of the same. 

Acuff isn't a strong defender, and projecting him as a net-neutral defender over the course of his career would be a big win for his development. The offensive end is where Acuff is going to make his money. His processing skills for his age are elite and will only get better.

Why Acuff is being asked to do more than any other rookie

Acuff to Sacramento was one of the worst-kept secrets throughout the entire pre-draft cycle. The connections between his family and Kings general manager Scott Perry run deep: Perry coached Darius Acuff Sr. when he played at Eastern Kentucky in the 1990s.

After Sacramento fell in the draft lottery and landed pick No. 7, it became almost too obvious that Acuff would end up a King. The Clippers coveted Keaton Wagler early in the cycle, while Brooklyn liked the shooting upside of Mikel Brown Jr. Even though the Kings were said to be deciding between Acuff and Kingston Flemings, the former felt inevitable if Acuff was indeed available when Sacramento was on the board.

With that context, it's easy to understand why he is being handed the keys to the offense immediately, despite being on a roster that includes former NBA All-Stars Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis. LaVine has the second-highest usage rate on the team (25.6%), while Sabonis — who thrived as the hub of Sacramento's offense during the 2022-23 season— has a usage rate of just 15.7%.

Even with a roster that might not look 1-7 bad on paper, the Kings simply don't have enough shot creation and shot-making outside of Acuff and LaVine. The stat that stands out? Only 23 of Acuff's 189 shots have been catch-and-shoot attempts, per Synergy. At Arkansas, Acuff thrived in the catch-and-shoot department, shooting 50% (60 of 120) in that category.

Acuff is averaging 23.6 shot attempts per game, which ranks second in the NBA, behind only Gilgeous-Alexander. While that stat might pop, most of the looks Acuff is getting have been a massive improvement from his NBA debut, where he shot 5 of 24 against the Clippers. 

For a smaller guard, Acuff has done a great job of getting to the paint; he's shooting 25 of 52 (48.1%) at the rim. Acuff is also getting a healthy number of 3-point attempts. He shot 44% from beyond the arc at Arkansas, but has connected on just 30.8% of his 3-point attempts so far. Rookie guards are historically inefficient, so it shouldn't be that much of a cause for concern.

Sacramento seems to be waiting on the 2027 offseason to take a step toward a proper rebuild, though the front office has reportedly been trying to move LaVine and Sabonis — the two highest-paid players on the team — since Perry took over as GM in 2024. LaVine and De'Andre come off the books this summer, while Sabonis and Malik Monk (player option) are free agents in 2028.

The blueprint for building a team around Acuff — a player who can score at will and be the offensive engine for a team — should be what the Knicks have done with Jalen Brunson. New York surrounded Brunson with 3-and-D wings, which takes the pressure off him on the defensive end of the floor. Sacramento has just one true 3-and-D wing on the roster: Keegan Murray, who is currently out with an ankle injury.

With several high-priced veterans on the roster, this will be Sacramento's short-term future. The No. 1 priority this season for Sacramento is developing Acuff so when the big names come off the books and the team has cap space, the franchise can properly build a team around him.

For now, expect more of the same.

No one needs perfect

One popular comparison Acuff has drawn, dating back to the pre-draft cycle, is Cam Thomas. No disrespect at all to Thomas — who was one of the best pure shotmakers and scorers in the league when he played — but Acuff is by far a more advanced passer and facilitator for his age.

Acuff is averaging seven assists per game, which ranks 12th in the league. He is also averaging 12.4 potential assists per game, per the NBA's tracking data, which ranks 11th. Acuff at Arkansas was an elite facilitator despite being a high-volume scorer. Over the last few games, Acuff has been making an effort to get his teammates involved in the high pick-and-roll.

This clip from Wednesday's loss to the Lakers is exactly the kind of play Acuff is making that won't show up on the box score: he falls over while making a cross-court pass to a wide-open shooter (Monk) who missed a 3-pointer. Acuff finished with 12 assists against the Lakers, but had 17 potential assists, per the tracking data.

Let's go back to Thomas, who didn't have a game with more than four assists during his rookie season. Acuff has recorded at least five assists in six of his first eight games, including two with over 12 assists. 

Acuff's passing was one of his strengths throughout his college career. He is a very good lob passer who routinely made tough cross-court or skip passes with multiple defenders in the area. While Acuff is known for scoring, his passing is underrated.

Acuff isn't a perfect rookie, but he isn't even 20 years old and Sacramento projects as one of the worst teams in the NBA. The Kings will happily trade the good for the bad if he continues to develop and post the numbers he's putting up.