Sacramento Kings: Who impressed the most in the California Classic?

The Sacramento Kings may have gone just 1-2 in this year’s California Classic, but they still were able to see plenty of promise from some of their young players.

The Sacramento Kings participated in the second annual California Classic this season and — much like last year — it was a resounding success. While they managed to win just one of their three games, the goal of the summer tournament was accomplished.

Young players were given a platform to shine for all four squads involved, the Kings included. Sacramento saw many of their young players step up over the course of the three games including some players who could work their way into the rotation this upcoming season.

While none of these players are expected to contribute significant minutes — at least in the short-term — there are still a few roster spots up for grabs and we’ll likely see some of these players at points next season.

But out of everyone who participated, who shined the most for Sacramento?

Second-round picks Justin James and Kyle Guy each flashed potential throughout the week with the latter looking the best. Guy gave Kings fans a glimpse of his stellar shooting ability connecting on 9-of-22 shots from three-point range.

The Virginia product hit a clutch three with time winding down to help seal the Kings victory in Game 1 over the Golden State Warriors — a testament to both his long-range ability and clutch traits that he showed while in college.

Guy still needs to get stronger and refine the other parts of his game — mainly his defense and playmaking abilities — but the potential is clearly there. And on a Kings team stacked with three-point shooters, Guy could fit right in.

If Guy could continue to develop his game so that he’s at least passable as a defender, he has a good shot of sticking around in the NBA as a three-point specialist with a clutch pedigree.

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For James, however, the week of games wasn’t as kind to him. While his defensive game showed promise, he seemed very slow to pick up the offense. However, his last game against the Los Angeles Lakers showed a bit more offensive upside.

James finished with nine points and nine rebounds while looking more comfortable with the ball in his hands. But neither of these players were the true standout of the week.

And neither was BYU big man Eric Mika, although he impressed as well. The 24-year-old has spent the last two seasons playing overseas in Europe and will be fighting father time as he attempts to make the transition to the NBA.

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Mika recorded back-to-back double-doubles in the final two games and could be a candidate for a spot on the G-League roster down the road.

But the true standout of the California Classic was 2018 undrafted free agent Wenyen Gabriel. Gabriel made a great first impression this summer leading the team in scoring and rebounds in the team’s first game against the Warriors.

He would go on to be Sacramento’s leading scorer in two of the three contests averaging 19 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Gabriel is a talented, athletic forward who spent all of last season with the Kings on a two-way contract — playing pretty much exclusively in Stockton.

Part of Gabriel’s game that is most intriguing is his ability to hit from behind the arc. The South Sudan native shot 37% from three-point range last season with Stockton and that — combined with his improved defense and rebounding skills — could mean he earns some rotational minutes this year.