Biggest Risers and Fallers From Clippers’ First Two Preseason Games

Two preseason games will not decide a season, but they can shift a rotation, and the Los Angeles Clippers have already given their coaches plenty to think about after a win in Honolulu and a loss in Vancouver.

The Clippers opened with a 104-101 win over the Golden State Warriors at the Stan Sheriff Center on Sunday, Oct. 4, as rookie guard Keaton Wagler hit the jumper that gave them the lead for good with 14 seconds left. Six days later, Los Angeles fell 114-106 to the Toronto Raptors at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Saturday.

The worst news came in the opener, when guard Max Strus suffered a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his right foot, and he will be reevaluated in four weeks, according to ESPN.

Forward Rui Hachimura has been the best Clipper so far, scoring 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting and 4-of-5 from three in just 15 minutes against Golden State before adding 14 points and a perfect 7-of-7 at the line in 19 minutes against Toronto.

That adds up to 35 points in 34 minutes, a great start for a player this team will lean on.

"I think offensively, we were pretty good, making the right plays," Hachimura said after the win in Honolulu.

He sounded very sure of himself after that first night, and I think he should be the second scoring option behind point guard Darius Garland to start the year, with forward Brandon Ingram still out as he works back from surgery to repair a partially torn right Achilles tendon.

Forward Baba Miller is my other riser, as he put up 9 points and 6 rebounds in 20 minutes against the Warriors and then 10 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in 16 minutes against the Raptors.

The Clippers will be without Ingram and center Yanic Konan Niederhauser to start the season, so there are frontcourt minutes up for grabs, and Miller has done enough to earn a longer look.

Wagler hit the biggest shot of the preseason so far, but his shooting has been rough, as he is 6-of-24 from the field and 3-of-17 from three across the two games.

He was the fifth pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and with Strus out, more of the load in the backcourt falls on him.

A veteran teammate has already backed the rookie, and I am not worried about him long term, but he needs to find easier looks before the games count.

Center Brook Lopez has also had a slow start, going 0-of-4 for one point in seven minutes against Golden State.

He got the start in Vancouver and grabbed 7 rebounds, but the Clippers were outscored by 13 points in his 15 minutes on the floor.

The Clippers host the Denver Nuggets at Intuit Dome on Wednesday, Oct. 14, and rosters must be cut to 15 by Oct. 19, two days before Los Angeles opens the regular season at home against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

Hachimura has given this team a lift, and if Miller and Wagler keep growing, the Clippers could find more depth than many people expect.