Against the Washington Wizards, the LA Clippers’ summer league squad walked away with a 14-point win, led by Kobe Sanders, who racked up 26 points and 5 assists on 9-17 shooting. Obviously, this is great. However, despite the positive outcome, there’s still one complaint: Keaton Wagler did not play due to the instruction of the Clippers’ training staff.
Why? Well, they simply chose to give Wagler the day off because he suited up the night before versus the Los Angeles Lakers, which is absolutely baffling, as the rookie needs all of the reps he can get with the way he’s been playing thus far.
Overall, the summer league experience could help Wagler improve in various ways in preparation for the regular season. But by sitting him for no legitimate reason, the Clippers are ultimately making it tougher on the rookie for the long run.
Keaton Wagler had no business sitting on the sidelines in the summer league
Had Keaton Wagler crushed the summer league and been a guy expected to dominate from day one, as a primary option, like Darryn Peterson or Cam Boozer, it would be understandable why he was resting. No one would’ve questioned the LA Clippers if that was the case.
For Wagler, though, he’s entering a Clippers system with a handful of options ahead. You have the top two guys in Darius Garland and Brandon Ingram, then a few more in Derrick Jones Jr. and Rui Hachimura.
As a result, Wagler’s only job as a rookie is to soak up knowledge like a sponge, take steps forward as the season goes on, and build his confidence to the point where it’s unbreakable.
Mastering these at an early age will be key to having a successful career in the league.
And what do the Clippers do? They took away a golden opportunity from the 19-year-old where he could’ve continued to grasp the speed of the game, learned different ways to make an impact at the NBA level, and built chemistry, as some of the summer league roster will be right there next to him in the rotation.
Additionally, shutting down Wagler for the game instantly destroys a chance for the fans to see what he’s made of.
That said, the Clippers made a poor decision, no matter how you look at it. Resting Wagler is straight up senseless, and doing so could come back to bite them sooner or later.
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