The 5th pick showed flashes of star potential in Las Vegas, but a few clear hurdles stand between the Illinois product and a big rookie season.
Summer League told two very different stories about Keaton Wagler.
The fifth overall pick out of Illinois opened his Las Vegas run by shooting 1 of 7 against the Kings, and some impatient fans were already throwing around the word bust after one night.
He answered with a team high 23 points against the Jazz, a steady 16 against the Lakers, and a game high 26 in the finale, when the Clippers hung a Summer League record 128 points on the Timberwolves.
The talent is obviously real, so the better question is what the 19 year old needs for it to translate.
Strength Is the First Hurdle
Wagler is listed at 6 foot 6 and 175 pounds, and that frame was the root of most of his early struggles in Vegas, where NBA level physicality kept him from creating separation off the dribble.
His 33.3 percent three point shooting across four games reflected how many of his looks were contested.
The good news is that his feel never wavered, and Summer League coach Jay Larranaga praised exactly that, saying, "His processing, his skill level, his resiliency … he plays the game without an agenda."
A stronger base should unlock the pull up game that made him Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and it would help him against the physical defenders who hounded a Clippers team that finished ninth in the Western Conference last season.
He also credited teammates and coaches for backing him after the slow start, which helped him settle in quickly.
Learning Life
The rookie will not be the lead guard on this roster, and he knows it.
"I won't have the ball as much with Garland. But learning, playing off of him and building chemistry with my teammates is what I need to do," Wagler said in Las Vegas.
Garland put up 19.9 points and 6.4 assists after arriving from Cleveland in the James Harden trade, so the starting point guard job is settled and Wagler's path runs through off ball scoring.
He has been studying Tyrese Haliburton for that reason, pointing to the pace they share and how Haliburton thrives without elite strength.
Fans can see where he fits in a full look at the Clippers' depth chart, which still hinges on the frozen Kawhi Leonard trade.
Patience
Nothing about the Clippers is a sure thing right now, with the league still investigating Leonard's endorsement deal and a resolution reportedly weeks away.
If the deal closes and the Brandon Ingram package arrives, the wing rotation could look completely different by October, and backcourt mates like Sean Pedulla keep developing behind him.
Wagler needs added strength, a cleaner three point diet, and steady minutes next to Garland.
If those three things come together, the rocky first night in Vegas will be a forgotten footnote by spring.
