Darius Acuff Jr. has not been shy about getting his shots up so far in this young season. Acuff, as a rookie, is currently third in field goals attempts per game at 22.8. Michael Beasley said that Acuff should shoot less and pass more, per NBACentral. What exactly does Beasley mean by this?
The Message to Darius Acuff Jr.
It is clear that Beasley did not mean anything negative by what he said. He was speaking from his experience and addressed it as such, too. He stated that Acuff is good and was trying to say what he said as a teaching moment. Beasley talked about sacrificing three or four shots for an assist and how it could change the team or improve the team.
He talked about how the more shots a player shoots. The less the players around him will want to play with him. Beasley is someone whose career didn’t turn out nearly as well as it should have. He was once a dominant player in college and a promising player in the NBA. However, things didn’t turn out the way he wanted. Now, Beasley can speak on his experience, and it holds weight. It’s clear that he meant nothing negative and only spoke from his own personal experience.
How Acuff is Performing
Acuff is looking like a veteran player in the way he is able to create offense for himself and his teammates. He is a dynamic scorer with quick speed, a tight handle, and explosive athleticism. As a rookie, he is averaging 26.2 points and 7.3 assists per game. It is clear that the Kings’ plan is to let him go out there and shoot as much as he wants so that he can get all the reps he needs. He already has the keys to the team.
Beasley didn’t mean anything bad by his comments. He was actually supportive of Acuff and only spoke from his own experience. Whether Acuff takes fewer shots or none isn’t going to affect his trajectory right now. He was brought in to score, and that’s what he is doing to start the season, and he’s doing it very well.
Darius Acuff Jr. Gets Blunt Advice From Michael Beasley