Darius Acuff Jr. Opens Up on Tough 1-10 Start for Kings

Frustration Building in Sacramento

Sacramento Kings rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. has admitted that the team's poor start to the season is weighing heavily on him. The Kings dropped to a 1-10 record following a 107-100 defeat against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.

When asked after the game if the mounting losses were taking a toll, the 19 year old rookie responded that it was taking a lot. He noted that he is not a loser, so the losing streak is not fun. However, he pointed out that it is an 82 game season and expressed hope that something will stick as the team moves forward.

Big Individual Stats Not Translating to Wins

The No. 7 overall pick in this year's draft put up strong numbers once again on Tuesday. Acuff scored 29 points on 10 of 21 shooting while adding six assists. Despite his efforts, Sacramento suffered another loss.

On the season, the former Arkansas star is averaging 26.2 points and 7.3 assists per game. His scoring average is currently the ninth highest in the NBA. In addition, Acuff has scored 288 points through his first 11 games. That total is the most points scored by any NBA rookie in their first 11 games since Michael Jordan scored 289 points for the Chicago Bulls in 1984.

Individual success has not helped the Kings escape the bottom of the standings. Sacramento enters Wednesday tied with the Utah Jazz and the Chicago Bulls for the worst record in the league.

Fixing Errors and Closing Games

Acuff acknowledged that both he and the team need to address their mistakes on the court. He committed four of Sacramento's 20 turnovers in the loss to Orlando. He stated that the squad must clean up those errors.

He explained that the players are trying hard as a whole, but a 1-10 record simply does not sound right. He added that the team must come together in the fourth quarter to close out games and improve collectively.

Veteran Praise for the Young Star

Despite the team's ongoing struggles, Kings veteran Zach LaVine offered strong words of encouragement for his young teammate. LaVine praised Acuff after Tuesday's loss, stating that the rookie guard is going to be real special.

Acuff remains focused on finding solutions for Sacramento. He insisted that the team has to figure things out at some point to turn their difficult season around.