Ranking the Top 10 California Classic Summer League Rookies

The NBA Draft has concluded, and the prospects are off to their respective teams as they prepare for their first minutes with their new organizations in this year’s NBA Summer League. The California Classic will occur on July 3rd and 5th as the Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and San Antonio Spurs battle it out in Sacramento.

To prepare you for the action, we rank the top ten rookies you should watch heading into next week’s action.

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1. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs (No. 1 Overall)

Wemby will be the center of attention at the Summer League. He is expected to participate, and we’ll see his first minutes of action in a Spurs uniform, as he’ll be sure to make a quick impression on those who haven’t seen him play yet.

Realistic Expectations for Wembanyama

2. Brandon Miller – Charlotte Hornets (No. 2 Overall)

Many have questioned whether Miller was the right pick at second overall, but now it’s time for him to prove it was the right call. The Hornets have been a struggling franchise for a long time, and making a statement that he is here to change that in the Summer League could go a long way with the Charlotte faithful.

Did the Hornets Make the Right Move Drafting Miller Over Scoot?

3. Jalen Hood-Schifino – Los Angeles Lakers (No. 17 Overall)

Hood-Schifino should be a popular name for college hoops fans after operating as Indiana’s floor general a season ago. He’s got excellent floor command and does well to put his head down and get to the rim.

4. Jaime Jaquez – Miami Heat (No. 18 Overall)

Jaquez is an all-around winner and got an unbelievably right landing spot with the Miami Heat. He isn’t masterful at anything but is great at nearly every aspect of the game. Don’t be surprised if he is in the NBA for ten seasons or longer.

5. Brandin Podziemski – Golden State Warriors (No. 19 Overall)

Amazingly, Podziemski made it back-to-back seasons with Santa Clara sending a first-round pick to the NBA. He’ll look to follow in Jalen Williams’s footsteps, who is already thriving in the Association. Podziemski is a lethal shooter with an underrated ability to rebound from the backcourt.

6. Nick Smith – Charlotte Hornets (No. 27 Overall)

Smith’s descent to 27th overall didn’t make much sense, and he could be the steal of the first round for Charlotte. The one-and-done entered college hoops as the third-highest-ranked high school player in the Class of 2022, and while a knee injury and subpar shooting hindered his freshman campaign, he’s got the goods to produce at the next level.

NBA Draft Winners, Losers and Shockers

7. Maxwell Lewis – Los Angeles Lakers (No. 40 Overall)

At 6’7″, Lewis always looked the part of an NBA wing during his time at Pepperdine. He commits on drives to the basket, can get to the rim in one dribble, and can knock down outside shots when given the space.

8. Amari Bailey – Charlotte Hornets (No. 41 Overall)

Bailey does so well when he plays within himself. He will rarely blow by anybody, but his convincing fakes, laser vision, and patience make him a solid backcourt asset going forward. He could carve out a role quickly in Charlotte’s rotation.

9. James Nnaji – Charlotte Hornets (No. 31 Overall)

Nnaji is unknown mainly due to playing in Europe, but his time with Barcelona is where he showed some serious potential. He was a two-way stud in Spain, and his game could translate smoother than most may expect.

10. Sidy Cissoko – San Antonio Spurs (No. 44 Overall)

Cissoko’s mysterious slide put him in the lap of the Spurs, who swooped him up at 44th overall on draft night. He got a year of professional hoops under his belt as a teammate with third overall pick Scoot Henderson for G League Ignite last season.