Overreacting to Keaton Wagler's Summer League Debut Is a Mistake

The Las Vegas Summer League is underway, and the LA Clippers had their first game on Thursday, losing to the Sacramento Kings 91-85. Obviously, Summer League is less about the scores and more about how the prospects on each team are looking. For this game, all eyes were on the Darius Acuff Jr. vs. Keaton Wagler matchup.

For Clippers fans, it was their first opportunity to watch the No. 5 pick in a Clippers uniform. Wagler started, played 27 minutes, and his performance left plenty to be desired. The rookie point guard finished with seven points and one assist on 1/7 shooting from the field. He had five personal fouls, and the Clippers lost his minutes by 23 points.

It was a performance Wagler needs to forget about right away. He didn't seem too concerned about it after the game, saying, "We're gonna be fine. I'm gonna be fine," per Clippers insider Joey Linn. The former Illinois star said that the game was "super physical" and he needs to get better at handling the pressure and physicality.

The talented point guard also said, "It's the first game," and he will use it as a learning opportunity. Clippers fans can learn from Wagler's approach.

Keaton Wagler's Struggles in SL Debut Are Nothing to Worry About

The social media was full of concerned Clippers fans and basketball watchers who raised alarm bells during Wagler's performance.

This isn't to say that there weren't concerning aspects of Wagler's game. He struggled to create separation and generate good shots for himself and his teammates. He was bumped off his drives and wasn't allowed to get to his spot. He looked physically overwhelmed for most of the game.

At the same time, this was just the first game. It is a big transition to go from college basketball to facing NBA athletes. Sure, this is just the Summer League, but Wagler was still going up against five NBA players in Sacramento's starting lineup. Adjusting to the speed and physicality of the NBA takes time.

There are plenty of stars who had miserable Summer League showings before their rookie seasons. Jalen Brunson averaged 6.8 points in Summer League on 22.7/30.0/72.7 shooting splits as a rookie in 2018. Derrick Rose shot 29.4% from the field in his first two Summer League games before winning Rookie of the Year. Trae Young averaged 12.7 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.7 turnovers in 29 minutes per game and shot 23.1% from the field in his first Summer League in Utah.

Point guards who have the ball in their hands a lot will especially struggle. Wagler clearly needs to get stronger and learn to play with more physicality. But he has dealt with similar weaknesses his entire career. He was able to be one of the best offensive players in college basketball last year while having the same deficiencies.

Players of his basketball IQ and craft figure things out, and it's only a matter of time before he starts looking like the player the Clippers were hoping for when they drafted him.

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