John Hollinger, formerly of ESPN, ranks as one of the most widely read NBA analysts of the past decade and now writes for The Athletic.

Hollinger, known for breaking down NBA players' performances with an eye for statistics and detail, recently released his list of 2026 NBA Summer League disappointments, and it included a surprise name: Keaton Wagler.

Wagler, the fifth overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, led his team in scoring but still ended up on the wrong side of Hollinger's list.

Hollinger shared his reasoning for Wagner's selection as a "disappointment," and backed it up with observations and statistics. 

Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the fifth pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Illinois guard Keaton Wagler after he was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Wagler shot poorly at NBA Summer League which drew the attention of Hollinger. 

"The two 'surprise late-bloomer' guards picked in the lottery (Wagler and the Hawks' Kingston Flemings) both struggled at Summer League," Hollinger wrote.

"Of the two, though, I'd be slightly more concerned about Wagler," Hollinger added, saying his struggles "might keep me up at night if I were his employer." 

Wagler had a hard time breaking ball pressure and wasn't impressive defensively according to the hoops analyst. 

"He scored at a high rate but not very efficiently and made almost no impact across the rest of the box score," Hollinger said, calling the Illinois rookie "invisible defensively." 

Wagler finished the short Summer season with 17 fouls and two steals in 113 minutes of play. 

He had 11 assists against nine turnovers, which "isn't up to snuff for a point guard candidate," Hollinger added. 

Wagler has plenty of room to improve and the areas where he needs it most are based on his youth, Hollinger said. 

"Wagler is not only young (he doesn't turn 20 until February) but has a 'young' body that still needs to fill out," Hollinger said.

"And he can shoot muuuuuch better than the 8-of-24 from 3 he showed in Vegas.

"But I thought we'd see more fireworks this summer." 

Hollinger's write-up on Wagler doesn't obscure his team-leading 18 points per game in Las Vegas and the high expectations that remain for the Illinois rookie in the NBA.

The Clippers' Summer League team was short on talent, fellow Big Ten rookie Nick Martinelli notwithstanding, and it was almost certainly seen as more of a place to tinker with his game than a chase for a championship by Wagler himself.

Wagler proved he has the chops to take a team deep into the NCAA Tournament during his freshman season with Brad Underwood's team, and the skills to play with efficiency and poise.

His rookie NBA season will test those skills to the max, but Clippers fans should understand Wagler is a long-term investment who still needs to add muscle and continue to work on his craft week-to-week and month-to-month in Tinseltown.