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After a one-year hiatus, the California Classic returned to the Golden One Center in Sacramento, CA. Over three days, July 4-6, the Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, and Milwaukee Bucks each played their first NBA Summer League games. Kings fans were eager to see how their team’s new rookies would perform in their first NBA action.
The Kings’ seventh overall pick, Darius Acuff Jr. from the University of Arkansas, and 45th overall pick, Emanuel Sharp from the University of Houston, suited up. However, just days before the Classic, the Kings announced that 29th overall pick Alex Karaban of the University of Connecticut would miss the team’s games due to a sprained right ankle.
Given that there were just two of them, how did the Kings’ healthy rookies perform at the California Classic?
Day 1 – Kings Play Acuff and Sharp
For their summer league matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, the Kings, led by coach Chris Darnell, trotted out a starting lineup consisting of Acuff, Nique Clifford, Sharp, Jonathan Mogbo, and Dylan Cardwell. This group of players was a mix of astounding offense and stout defense.The first half was up and down for the Kings, falling behind by as much as 18, but forcing a tie going into halftime. With Karaban out, it was up to Acuff and Sharp to make their presence felt, and they most certainly did.
Acuff played poorly in the first half, shooting an abysmal 21.4% from the field. In his postgame press conference, Acuff mentioned that he felt rushed at the beginning of the game.
Over the course of the game, Acuff began to settle in. While he ended up shooting 9-of-29 from the field overall, he used tight handles and moves to create space and make numerous clutch baskets. He finished with 25 points. With only five seconds remaining, he threw a one-handed pass to Clifford instead of taking the last shot himself. Clifford then drained a game-winning three-pointer just before time expired.
The part of his game that’s been most criticized by scouts and the media is his defense, and that was clearly the case in this matchup. Acuff consistently fell behind on his assignments, allowing his opponent to drive to the basket for easy buckets. Due to quality screens set by the Nets and a lack of lateral quickness, he couldn’t keep up. Notably, his defensive woes did not come as a result of effort. Acuff was trying his best and still managed to make some level of impact on that end of the floor.
As for Sharp, he showed why scouts considered him an excellent 3-and-D player. On numerous occasions, he turned physical defense into offense. On one possession, he blocked Nets guard Drake Powell, then threw an alley-oop to Clifford in transition.
Sharp proved to be the catalyst of a 27-9 Kings run to end the first half, which brought both the team and fans back into the game. Along with impactful defensive plays, he shot 2-of-9 from three-point range, though his efficiency doesn’t tell the full story. Two of his threes, one from the logo, kickstarted meaningful sequences and rallied his teammates. He played exactly as advertised, making big-time plays in big-time moments.
The game ended with the Kings winning 79-76. Next up was the Golden State Warriors’ Blue Team.
Day 2 – Kings Play Just Emanuel Sharp
Ahead of the second day of Summer League action, the Kings announced that Acuff Jr. would be sitting out, along with Cardwell, Karaban, and Clifford.Sharp was thrust into a leadership role, taking charge of the defense and playing a larger role offensively as well. Sharp’s defense made an instant impact, guarding positions from point guard to small forward. His defensive output was awe-inspiring and motivated his teammates to follow suit.
The Kings had previously trailed the Warriors by double digits before a lineup consisting of three guards, Sharp, Isaiah Stevens, and Adam Flagler joined the game. Each took matters into their own hands, using intense point-of-attack defense to force the Warriors into bad shots and turnovers. Over the course of his college career, Sharp was encouraged by University of Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson to hone in on his defense and execute his designated role of a 3-and-D specialist to the best of his ability.
Sharp ended the game with 18 points, shooting 4-of-12 from three-point range, to go along with two steals and one block. His overall impact couldn’t possibly be demonstrated on a stat sheet though.
While his teammates fed off Sharp’s energy, he seemed to feed off the crowd.
The Kings ended up defeating the Warriors 91-85, with Sharp hitting game-sealing free throws to shut the door on a Warriors miracle comeback. The Warriors would have run away with the game if not for Sharp’s head-turning combination of valiant defense and connective offense.
Day 3 – Kings Play Just Darius Acuff
Just as his fellow rookie Acuff did on Day 2, Sharp took a break from Summer League action for the team’s third and final game against the Bucks. Acuff, on the other hand, was well-rested and ready to put on a show. Interestingly, Acuff faced off one-on-one against former University of Arizona guard Brayden Burries, who eliminated Acuff’s Arkansas Razorbacks in the 2026 NCAAM Tournament’s Sweet 16.Acuff played an efficient brand of basketball, shooting 7-of-19 from the field and 4-of-9 beyond the arc. It can be tough for rookies to adjust to the NBA’s deeper three-point line. Despite this, Acuff has managed to retain his solid three-point efficiency that made him stand out in college, so far. Acuff shot 49% on catch-and-shoot threes at Arkansas, and that trend continued against the Bucks.
Aside from his inefficient shooting on Day 1, fans criticized his lack of facilitating, but Acuff silenced those doubts. While on the stat sheet he dished just three assists, he demonstrated a blend of skip, bounce and outlet passes. Most of his passes were on target, but the recipients missed more of the generated open looks than they made.
While most of Acuff’s passes looked crisp, one area of his game that needed improvement are his lob passes. When he tossed up potential alley-oops, he often threw them out of reach of his driving teammates. This caused him to end the game with four turnovers.
Regardless of what the box score may look like, Acuff always searched for the right pass. Whether he was driving to the rim or surveying the defense on the perimeter, he kept his eyes up. Since defenses tended to throw multiple defenders at him, there was always an open man to look for.
Acuff even made an impact on the defensive end, finishing with two blocks, including one on the 7-foot-0 Jesse Edwards. Acuff defied the ten-inch height difference on that occasion. He added one steal to his résumé as well.
Not bad for a player who many consider the biggest defensive liability on the floor. He still has a lot to learn, but he showed improvements from the first game to the second.
Down the stretch, Acuff utilized his elite shot-creating ability and generated high-quality looks for himself. When the Kings led by just three points with 23 seconds remaining, they turned to Acuff. Defended by the 6-foot-8 Malique Lewis, he stepped back and drained a 29-foot three-pointer to seal a victory.
Acuff finished with 22 points and guided his young team to a 95-89 win, clinching the Kings an undefeated record at the California Classic. Without Acuff, that win would not have been possible.
The Main Takeaways
It’s never wise to overreact to NBA Summer League games, especially when they’re the first two of the Kings rookies’ careers, but Sharp and Acuff showed that there’s a lot to be excited about for Kings fans. Sharp excelled on the defensive end and as a three-point shooter, proving the two-way talent scouts raved about was real. Whether he defended his assignments at the point of attack or off the ball, he made their lives miserable.Acuff showed that on offense, he can make a positive difference whether the ball is in his hands or not. Whether he’s tasked with penetrating the defense on isolation-style plays or setting ghost screens and maneuvering through the defense to catch a pass, Acuff proved he was up for any task thrown at him. His defense needs improvement, but with a head coach in Doug Christie, a former All-NBA defender, he’ll slowly come around.
Sharp and Acuff have plenty of room to grow, but they managed to play well right out of the gate. The future appears to be bright for a Kings franchise desperate to return to the playoffs after making it once in the last 20 years. As for Karaban, he will likely make his Summer League debut at the Las Vegas set of Summer League games. With his ability to shoot the ball at will, he’ll instantly produce quality outputs.
Two of the Kings’ rookies had the chance to make noise at the California Classic, and they took the opportunity and ran with it. Catch them playing in Las Vegas from July 9-19.
The post How Did the Kings’ Rookies Perform at the California Classic? appeared first on The Lead.
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