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Sacramento Summer League 2019: Schedule of Dates, Times, Points System, Format
June 29, 2019
For the second year in a row, four teams will converge on the Golden 1 Center for the California Classic.
The host Sacarmento Kings are joined by the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers in the four-team, three-day tournament that begins Monday.
The trio of games for each team in Sacramento will serve as a tuneup for the Las Vegas Summer League, where all of the teams in the NBA will field squads.
Sacramento's Marvin Bagley III is the highest-profile young player set to compete at the California Classic. The Lakers and Heat are fielding rosters with primarily rookies, while Golden State's roster is intriguing because of the presence of Jimmer Fredette.
California Classic Schedule
All Times ET.
Monday, June 1
Miami vs. Los Angeles Lakers (9 p.m., NBA TV)
Golden State vs. Sacramento (11 p.m., NBA TV)
Tuesday, June 2
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State (9 p.m., NBA TV)
Miami vs. Sacramento (11 p.m., NBA TV)
Wednesday, June 3
Golden State vs. Miami (3 p.m., NBA TV)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento (5 p.m., NBA TV)
Format
Each team participating in the California Classic plays three games, with one against each of the other three sides.
Every game consists of four 10-minute quarters, with a five-minute overtime period available if necessary.
The team with the best record out of the four games will win the competition.
Can Fredette Impress with Golden State?
Jimmer Fredette could not have asked for a better opportunity to prove he belongs on an NBA roster.
The 30-year-old, who has not been able to catch on to an NBA roster for long in his career, has a chance to impress a team that has a need for a sharpshooter, with Klay Thompson out with an ACL injury.
Fredette told reporters Friday that he is excited for the opportunity and that his goal is to make Golden State's roster, per Mark Medina of the San Jose Mercury News:
"I would love to make the Golden State Warriors. I would love to do that and show them what I can do and show what type of worth I have. Obviously with summer league, a lot of people are watching. You never know who's going to be watching or anything like that. It's a good opportunity to play. I'm grateful for the Warriors to give me that chance."
Fredette's latest shot at impressing NBA personnel starts against the team for whom he made his NBA debut.
In fact, Fredette's first two seasons with the Kings are where he put up his best NBA numbers, with 7.6 and 7.2 points per game.
The former BYU star, whose best professional seasons have been with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, last played more than 40 games in a NBA season in 2014-15 with the New Orleans Pelicans.
While his recent attempts at succeeding in the NBA have not gone well, Fredette has an opportunity to thrive with the Warriors, who have a system that fits his shooting skill set.
If he impresses enough in Sacramento and Las Vegas, he could make the 15-man roster.
For Golden State, it is a low-risk, high-reward situation since Fredette will come at a cheap cost, and if he pans out the Warriors have an extra shooter to help replace Thompson's production.
Which Lakers Players Can Shine the Most?
The Los Angeles Lakers' roster issues have been made apparent during all of the free-agent discussions involving the team.
With LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma on the roster, the Lakers are going to have to fill the back end with cheap talent.
That is where the pair of summer competitions in Sacramento and Las Vegas come into play for the franchise.
If any of the players with little to no NBA experience can succeed in the summer, the Lakers could call on them to fill the final few positions on the roster.
The opportunity to thrive is furthered by the absence of draft pick Talen Horton-Tucker, who will miss the summer games with a stress reaction in his right foot, as ESPN's Dave McMenamin noted.
That gives the collection of players who have previously played overseas or are right out of college the chance to impress with everything to gain.
Undrafted free agent Jordan Caroline from Nevada is one of the players to watch on the Lakers summer squad, as is Gonzaga product Zach Norvell Jr.
Caroline and Norvell should both have extra chips on their shoulders from going undrafted earlier in June.
Purdue product Dakota Mathias and former Wichita State guard Conner Frankamp are two of the players who played in Europe last year looking to break into the NBA.
Former Oregon player Joe Young, who spent three years with the Indiana Pacers before moving to China, is the most experienced player on the Lakers' Summer League squad. If he is able to stand out, he could be seen as a viable option to help to fill out the 15-man roster.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference.