Rookie Sacramento Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr. is giving Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard some serious props ahead of their first-ever matchup.
Speaking to Kings NBA insider James Ham yesterday (Oct. 22), Acuff commended Lillard’s work ethic while noting an overlap in the way they play.
“I see a lot of similarities in my game to him,” Acuff explained. “Always watched him growing up. You admire his hard work. You gotta respect guys like that. Especially when you do what they do and they show it on the court. I always have the utmost respect for guys like that, and he’s definitely one of my favorites, for sure.”
Darius Acuff Jr. and Damian Lillard Excelled as College Scorers
Watching Acuff’s highlights, it’s not hard to see why. In his one year at the University of Arkansas, he established himself as an explosive scoring guard who could bend a defense to his will. He put up 23.5 points and 6.4 assists per game on 60.4 percent true shooting in one season before declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft, where the Kings drafted him seventh overall. If you’ve been paying attention to the NBA the last 14 years, you don’t need much of an explanation for Lillard. But here’s one anyway.
After entering Weber State as an unheralded recruit in 2008, Dame Dolla used a quick first step and deep three-point shooting range to gradually become one of the most dominant volume scorers in college basketball. After spending four years at the school, he entered the 2012 NBA Draft, where the Portland Trail Blazers took him sixth overall. Once there, he began developing into an All-NBA player and arguably one of the greatest volume scorers in league history. In 2023, the Trail Blazers traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks, where injuries to himself and then-Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo prevented them from ever reaching the playoff success many expected. After Lillard tore his Achilles in the 2025 NBA playoffs, the Bucks waived him, and he re-signed with the Trail Blazers shortly thereafter.
Darius Acuff Jr. Faces Lillard After Contrasting Debuts
Now, Darius Acuff Jr. and Lillard will face each other for the first time. Acuff is coming off a debut in which he scored 12 points on 24 shots. He shot just under 21 percent from the field. In his first game since tearing his Achilles about 18 months ago, Lillard scored 25 points on a scorching 88 percent true shooting. He also handed out 6 assists with only one turnover.
In a post-game interview, Dame spoke on just how he felt in his first regular season game since his career-altering injury. “I’ve felt good for months now,” Lillard told reporters. “There might have [been] people who were skeptical because they haven’t seen me.”
Lillard also praised the way the Trail Blazers played as a team. “It was a great way to start this chapter for our team,” Lillard explained. “We shared the ball, we played together.”
Kings Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. Gives Damian Lillard Flowers Before First Matchup