Keaton Wagler
A rookie fifth-overall pick who is a rotation regular off the bench and the second unit's ball handler, with early coverage split on whether he should be playing more.
Role
He came off the bench in the Oct 21 opener against the Kings and again Oct 23 at the Lakers. Per ESPN's player page he played 29 and 24 minutes, a 26.5 average over two games. Yahoo (Oct 25) says coach Ty Lue is trusting him to run the second-team offense, and it puts his usage at 20.7%, fourth on the team. Per SI, he has played with Darius Garland and as his backup. Rotowire's Oct 22 note says Max Strus (foot) and Bradley Beal (knee) were out for the opener. SI names Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr. and Kobe Sanders as the players whose minutes a bigger Wagler role would cut. His minutes could shift when the injured players return, and I found no reporting on that. I did not fetch a depth chart or minutes tracker, so a starting-five claim beyond the game reports is not confirmed.
SI argues he has earned more minutes. Through two games he averaged 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.5 steals, and he took 13 free throws, which SI reads as relentless rim attacks. His debut was 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 turnover in 29 minutes. Rotowire's preseason notes said he was expected to start next to Garland. Lue liked what he saw even in the Lakers loss.
The sample is two games, and he shot 37.5% overall, with two-point accuracy SI called lacking. He had 4 turnovers against the Lakers and averages 2.5 per game. Yahoo reports the Garland and Wagler pairing at a minus 14.5 net rating in 27 minutes, against plus 27.3 for Wagler without Garland. SI also notes a defensive downgrade if he takes minutes from Dunn, Jones or Sanders, which matters against teams like OKC, the Lakers and Minnesota. The opener's 29 minutes included a lot of fourth-quarter time in a game already out of hand.
Where analysts split
Whether Wagler should move from the second unit into a bigger role or the starting lineup next to Garland. SI says yes. Yahoo's early two-man numbers say the Garland pairing is not working yet. The sample is too small to settle it, and Lue has not announced a change.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
Others at PG
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