Darius Garland Shares Excitement After Preseason Opener

In their preseason opener, the Los Angeles Clippers were able to beat the Golden State Warriors 104-101 in Hawaii. The new-look Clippers roster made their first appearance on the court together, and there were some players who had notable performances. Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles signed former Lakers forward Rui Hachimura this offseason, and he had a very efficient showing. Hachimura finished with 21 points in 15 minutes. In a recent practice and during media availability, the Clippers guard Darius Garland told the media how excited he is to play with Hachimura and how it could be a sign of things to come.

"I already knew what type of talent Rui is," Garland said. "He's a great shooter, great floor spacer. He's really good at mismatches as well."

Garland also expressed how excited he is about rookie guard Keaton Wagler's future after playing alongside him for the first time. 

"Super crafty with the ball in his hands, super crafty around the rim, can really shoot at a high level. I was super proud of him just being aggressive during the scrimmage," Garland said. 

Wagler had a big moment in the fourth quarter as he hit the go-ahead shot with 13 seconds remaining. He finished the game with 15 points in 30 minutes. He had a tough shooting performance as he only shot 3-for-15 from the field. 

Garland praised Wagler for the way he was able to get through the tough shooting night because of his confidence. Coming out of college, Wagler was drafted because of the high upside he possesses on offense. 

This season, Darius Garland will be one of the veteran leaders on this Clippers team. With the injuries to Max Strus and Brandon Ingram, veterans like Garland and Rui Hachimura will have to take up the bulk of the production this season. 

Other young players, including forward Baba Miller and guard Kobe Sanders, will see more action on the court this year than expected. For the Clippers to have a successful season, head coach Tyronn Lue will need to maximize his veterans. 

If Garland can mesh with Hachimura this season and Keaton Wagler can continue to progress, the Clippers could still be competitive. Their biggest challenge will be having to adjust to a very talented Western Conference. 

The Clippers will run into talented players very frequently, and their young pieces will have their hands full early in the season. It will be interesting to see how Tyronn Lue will incorporate different pieces into their rotations.