The Stockton Kings, the NBA G-League affiliate of the Sacramento Kings, have quite a successful history. The Kings ‘minor league’ squad has graduated many players to the NBA, along with fielding successful teams over the years. This will be their 4th season in Stockton, and 14th total since their early days as the Reno Bighorns. With the combination of heightened expectations in Sacramento, new G-League head coach Bobby Jackson, and multiple NBA caliber players on the roster, the Stockton Kings should be fun to watch this season!
Inside the Article
- Looking Back at Stockton Kings Past Success
- NEW NBA G-League Schedule Explained
- Highlights of the Stockton Kings 2021-22 Schedule
- Stockton Kings Players to Watch!
Looking Back
Stockton finished the COVID shortened 2019-20 regular season at 24-19, earning the title of G-League Pacific Division Champs – fifth seed in the western conference. That was before the G-League season and playoffs were canceled on March 12th, 2020. The Stockton Kings did not participate in the 2021-21 G-League season. This season things are returning to normal, and the Stockton Kings are returning HOME, the 209!
NEW 2021-22 NBA G-League Schedule Format EXPLAINED!
I will just let the media members at the NBA G-League website explain it better than I can.
The NBA G League announced a new innovative format to its season structure featuring both a 36-game regular season and an expanded Showcase Cup, a 14-game tournament which begins on Friday, Nov. 5, and then concludes at the annual NBA G League Winter Showcase from Dec. 19-22. The 2021-22 regular-season will then begin on Dec. 27 with traditional playoffs and the NBA G League Finals
To play the Showcase Cup, the league’s 29 teams and NBA G League Ignite will be separated into four regional pods, where they will play 12 games against one another in NBA G League markets. The teams with the best winning percentage in each regional pod, along with the next four teams across the league with the best win percentages, will advance to compete for the Showcase Cup in a single-elimination tournament during the NBA G League Winter Showcase. The remaining teams will each play two games outside of the Showcase Cup tournament during the event.
Following the Showcase Cup, team records will reset, and the 36-game regular season will tip-off on Monday, Dec. 27, bringing each team’s total games played to 50. At the conclusion of the regular season, the top six teams in each conference will qualify for the NBA G League Playoffs. NBA G League Ignite and Capitanes de la Ciudad de México will compete in the Showcase Cup but will not take part in the 36-game regular season.
The Salt Lake City Stars won the inaugural iteration of the Showcase Cup during the 2019-20 season.
Highlights of the Stockton Kings 2021-22 Schedule
Stockton started their 2021-22 season 2-0 against regional rivals, Golden State Warriors G-League affiliate, Santa Cruz Warriors. Stockton and Santa Cruz meet up a total of five times this season.
Stockton’s season continues next on November 14th and 15th, with a back-to-back at home against the Aguas Calientes Clippers. Aguas Calientes’ roster includes one of the most beloved players to roll through SacTown and Stockton during the last decade … H20, HGIII, Harry Giles III! This is a great reason to go out and support the Stockton Kings, and show some love to Giles!
Another team to watch this season, with a VERY random Sacramento Kings connection, are the G-Leauge Ignite squad. The Ignite roster features many of the best young prospects in the G-League. Their roster also includes a couple of veterans, including Sacramento Kings down-years point guard and fan-favorite, Pooh Jeter! Former King Kosta Koufos is also on the roster currently. You can catch the G-Leauge Ignite three times in Stockton this season, 11/28,29, and 3/6/22.
The Stockton Kings’ longest road trip of the season will span six games from Wednesday, March 23 thru Saturday, April 2. The road trip will go through Oklahoma City, a back-to-back at Rio Grande Valley, onto Memphis, Birmingham, and finishes up in Salt Lake City on April 2nd.
Players To Watch in Stockton
A few players to watch for on the Stockton Kings this season are Neemias Queta, Louis King, Jahmi’us Ramsey, Emanuel Terry, and Robert Woodard. Stockton’s roster also includes local flare, with 6’1″ guard Marcus Graves and 6’5″ guard Christian Terrell, who played their college ball at Sacramento State. Stingers Up!
Out of all the players on the Stockton Kings roster, Louis “The King’ King is making a splash early on in the G-League season. In the first two games of the young season, King is averaging 31 points, while shooting 76% from three-point range! A small sample size, but exciting nonetheless.
Many Sacramento Kings fans are becoming restless with their recent skid, falling to 5-7 overall as of Thursday 11/11, and are calling for Lou King to be called up to the NBA club. I think that with the current Kings guard-heavy lineup, right now King won’t have a true fit in SacTown. Though, if the Tyrese Haliburton injury continues to linger, if Terence Davis stays in his slump, or a trade is made … Louis the King might find himself under the bright lights of Golden 1 Center!
“Hey Deuce, What’s a G-League?”
- Beginning with the 2017-18 season, the NBA Development League (NBA D-League) became the NBA G League as part of a multi-year expanded partnership between the NBA and Gatorade.
- A record 45 percent of all NBA players at the start of the 2020-21 season boasted NBA G League experience. 41% of players on start-of-season NBA rosters in 2021-22 had played in the G League.
G-League/NBA Two–Way Contracts
The Sacramento Kings two ‘two-way’ players for the 2021-22 season are forward Louis King and center Neemias Queta.
In 2017 each NBA team was granted two extra roster spots with the addition of G-League two-way contracts. That raised the number of NBA roster spots from 15 to 17.
- NBA teams may have up to two players under NBA Two-Way Contracts who will spend the bulk of the season in the NBA G League and not more than 45 days with their NBA team.
- Two-Way players are paid a corresponding daily amount based on the number of days they play in each league.
- Only players in their fourth NBA season or earlier can sign Two-Way Contracts, which can be for either one or two seasons.
209 Stand UP!
Stockton not only plays high-level hoops, but fans who tune in will be able to gain some insider info on the next wave of Sacramento Kings call-ups. This gives Kings fans some added hope, and at times, a less frustrating team to watch, when the Sacramento club is scuffling.
And well, you can get game tickets for below 20$ in Stockton … that’s about half the processing fee for an upper deck seat for a game in Golden1 Center! Ballin’ on a budget!
As previously mentioned, the Stockton Kings start their 2021-22 regular season on November 14th at home against the Los Angeles Clippers G-League affiliate, Aguas Calientes Clippers, and Harry Giles III.
If you’re still skeptical about spending time watching the Stockton Kings …. Earlier this year, I wrote about THREE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH THE STOCKTON KINGS.
Go Kings!
-Tom Witt
