Tyronn Lue had a chance to squeeze more out of Keaton Wagler, and he didn’t take it.
Even in a loss to the Miami Heat, Wagler gave the Clippers something to hang onto. The fifth-overall pick put together his best outing in more than a week, finishing with 11 points, two rebounds, one assist, three made 3-pointers, and the best plus-minus on the roster at +15. Still, he logged only 16 minutes, and the feeling from the outside is that there was room for more.
Asked about the decision afterward, Lue said, “That’s just what I felt like. That’s just what I saw in the game.”
That answer only sharpened the criticism around him. The Clippers are not in a spot where every possession has to be treated like a playoff possession. They’re trying to build toward what comes next, and Wagler’s night suggested he could have used a bigger runway.
The issue goes beyond one game. Lue’s approach has long been viewed as better suited to a veteran group chasing wins and titles than a team trying to grow young players.
The source of that frustration is not new, either. Moussa Diabate is held up as the clearest example, with Lue essentially overlooking him before Diabate eventually landed with the Charlotte Hornets.
Now the Clippers are in a new phase, with the highest draft pick the franchise has had since Blake Griffin, and the same concerns are still there.
Wagler’s skill set also made the limited role stand out even more. The Clippers could have used his shooting from deep, his playmaking, and his defense, especially with clutch and overtime minutes available as a valuable learning experience. Instead, he stayed on the bench for stretches where he might have helped.
Baba Miller was another rookie who could have seen more action. The second-round pick played just six minutes, but made the most of them, blocking Giannis Antetokounmpo, dunking on Bam Adebayo, and finishing with one rebound, one assist, and one steal.
He’s clearly a gifted rookie, and Lue has barely given him any run this year.
Taken together, the message is hard to miss: the Clippers have young players who need reps, and Lue keeps leaning the other way. For a team trying to develop, that’s becoming the bigger problem.
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