No. 2 pick Brandon Miller and other rookies debuting at Sacramento’s California Classic
No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama will not play for the San Antonio Spurs in the California Classic at Golden 1 Center, but there will be a number of other intriguing rookie prospects in Sacramento this week.
With Wembanyama out, all eyes will be on Brandon Miller, who was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the No. 2 pick in the draft. Kings fans will be eager to see second-year forward Keegan Murray as well as rookie second-round draft picks Colby Jones and Jalen Slawson.
The two-day, six-team summer league event will feature triple-header action both days. The Los Angeles Lakers will play the Miami Heat at 3 p.m. Monday followed by the Spurs against the Charlotte Hornets at 5 p.m. and the Kings against the Golden State Warriors at 7 p.m. On Wednesday, the Warriors will play the Hornets at 3 p.m. with the Spurs scheduled to face the Lakers at 5 p.m. before the Kings play the Heat in the final game at 7 p.m.
Here are some of the top rookies to watch.
Brandon Miller, Hornets
Miller is a 6-foot-9, 200-pound small forward who came out of Alabama as the second pick in the draft. He averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting 38.4% from 3-point range for the Crimson Tide.
Jalen Hood-Schifino, Lakers
The Lakers selected Hood-Schifino with the No. 17 pick in the draft. He is a 6-4 ¼, 216-pound point guard with a 6-10 ¼ wingspan. He averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists at Indiana.
Jaime Jaquez Jr., Heat
Miami took Jaquez with the 18th pick in the draft. The 6-6, 226-pound wing averaged 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds as a senior at UCLA, where he established a reputation as a crafty scorer and pesky on-ball defender.
Brandin Podziemski, Warriors
The Warriors chose Podziemski with the 19th pick in the draft. The 6-5 shooting guard was one of the best shooters in the nation at Santa Clara, where he averaged 19.9 points while hitting 43.8% from 3-point range.
Nick Smith Jr., Hornets
Smith is a 6-5 guard who came out of Arkansas as the 27th pick in the draft. He averaged 12.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists for the Razorbacks.
James Nnaji, Hornets
Nnaji, the 31st overall pick in the draft, is an 18-year-old international prospect who played for FC Barcelona. He has tremendous size and length at 6-10 and 251 pounds with a 7-7 wingspan.
Colby Jones, Kings
The Kings traded up four spots to select Jones at No. 34. They think they found first-round value in a 6-5 wing who averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists at Xavier.
This story was originally published July 3, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
