With the LA Clippers’ schedule officially released, there are a few things fans worldwide are looking for. One of them concerns Keaton Wagler and the first official test of his career. While it’s going to happen sooner or later, as it does with everyone, the expectation was that it would happen at some point after the 19-year-old rookie gets a chance to get his feet wet and settle in. That's only right.
Well, the NBA had other plans. The Clippers will be facing off against the Sacramento Kings for their season opener, where Wagler will be going head-to-head against the seventh overall pick, Darius Acuff Jr. Now, this is not just a test for Wagler because Acuff Jr. is one of the best guards in the class, but because it’s a chance at redemption, as the two went at it in the summer league. The Kings’ rookie won by a mile.
If Wagler shows up to the first game of the regular season and fails, it’ll say a lot about where he stands at the moment.
Keaton Wagler is in the perfect position to outplay Darius Acuff Jr. on opening night
In Keaton Wagler’s first game of the summer league, versus the Sacramento Kings, he posted seven points, two rebounds, and one assist, shooting 1-for-7 from the field and 1-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Inside those numbers were some pretty rough mistakes. He looked uncomfortable with the pressure on his shoulders, scared to be aggressive, and didn’t show enough physicality for the NBA level.
The beauty of Wagler’s poor summer league debut is in the film. He can rewatch every movement, mistake, and positive he made from start to finish to see what needs to be changed and what doesn’t ahead of opening night.
It gets better; Acuff Jr. struggled mightily throughout the rest of the summer league. He flashed many of his flaws on both ends of the court, which Wagler can examine with the coaching staff to go above and beyond in preparation.
Additionally, Wagler can use the rest of his summer league experience, in which he clearly improved in every aspect of the game, and his time in training camp to his advantage.
That said, the first game against the Kings in the 2026-27 season will be Wagler’s first real test, and it’s a sight fans all over the world should be looking forward to seeing, specifically to evaluate how NBA-ready the fifth overall pick is.
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