Keaton Wagler’s first summer league game was supposed to be the moment Clippers fans got their first real look at the rookie they’d been waiting on since draft night. Instead, it turned into an early reminder that the 19-year-old is still a long way from being ready to deliver at the NBA level.
In the LA Clippers’ matchup with the Sacramento Kings, led by Darius Acuff Jr., Wagler struggled to make much of anything happen. He finished with seven points, two rebounds, one assist and one turnover in 27 minutes, while shooting 1-for-7 from the field and 1-for-5 from beyond the arc.
The stat line was rough on its own. The way he looked on the floor made it tougher to ignore.
Wagler appeared uncomfortable, scared and passive throughout the game, and those issues never really went away. Rather than shaking off the nerves as the night went on, he seemed to stay stuck in them from start to finish. For a player taken so high, that’s a hard first impression.
The biggest problem was simple: he couldn’t get separation. Darius Acuff Jr. spent much of the game on him, and even with Acuff’s reputation as a poor defender, he still did a solid job of keeping Wagler in check. When someone else picked him up, the result didn’t change much.
Wagler also struggled to create any real space to get a shot off, which is not what you want to see from a top pick. He didn’t show much ability to get past his man, and he didn’t do enough to use his size to his advantage.
That’s why the Clippers are looking at a project here, not a finished product. And for a fanbase that’s gone seven years without a lottery pick, that kind of patience may not come easy, especially with guys like Darryn Peterson performing well. But after this debut, the message is clear: Wagler is going to need time.
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