Clippers Rookie Keaton Wagler Is Challenging Himself in Training Camp

This offseason, the Los Angeles Clippers held the fifth overall pick, an improbable result from the draft lottery after the team traded center Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers would have had the Clippers' pick in the top four, but Los Angeles lucked out and was awarded the best-case scenario. 

With the fifth pick, the Clippers selected guard Keaton Wagler out of Illinois. What made Wagler stand out was his offensive ability, as he has a versatile play style on that end of the floor. 

One of the knocks on Wagler during the draft process was his lack of physical presence. He weighed 188 pounds at the Draft Combine and looks to gain mass moving forward. During Clippers training camp, he told the media he wants to improve his effort as a whole, and he's been looking to improve defensively as well. 

“It’s all just effort on that side of the ball. It’s a want to. That’s been my main focus, trying to guard the best player each time I’m out here. I’ve been trying to guard Darius [Garland] every time I can," Wagler said. 

Keaton Wagler is seen as the next face of the Clippers franchise, and although there may be high expectations right away for him, he still has some growing to do on the court, especially on defense. 

If Wagler can be a reliable two-way guard at some point in his career, that could make him one of the better guards in the NBA at some point. What helps him at this stage of his career is the number of veterans who are playing alongside him. 

Wagler mentioned Darius Garland, but he also gets to play with Bradley Beal, Max Strus, and Kris Dunn. All of those players offer a unique skill set to Los Angeles, and Wagler could take part of their play style from each player. 

This season for Los Angeles is a big question mark. Right now, the team is dealing with injuries, as Brandon Ingram could miss the start of the season due to a partially torn Achilles. 

For Wagler, it's an opportunity to take advantage of the chances he'll get on offense, as Ingram was projected to be the leader of the team on that end. Defensively, there coule be growing pains, but in a Western Conference with a lot of guard talent, Wagler could improve sooner rather than later. 

It will be interesting to see how Keaton Wagler adapts to the NBA and how the Clippers will involve him during his rookie season.