Keaton Wagler is receiving a lot of praise from teammates and coaches with NBA season on the horizon

The new NBA season is nearly here, beginning towards the end of October, so with the calendar changing to the new month, Illinois fans will get to see their former freshman guard in the league. After being selected by the L.A. Clippers with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Keaton Wagler is going to make his debut later this month. His teammates and coaches are hyping him up.

Now, the Clippers need Wagler to work out for the long haul after losing their first-round picks from 2029 to 2033. While they still have two more years of first-round picks before that takes place, Wagler really is their best shot at a high pick that could work out in the future.

It seems like it is going well in L.A. for the former Illinois star, though, and don't just take that from me, but from some of his own teammates and even head coach Ty Lue, who all sang Wagler's praises.

Wagler has made a great impression with the Clippers and could be their next great star

If you ask any Illinois fan, they will probably say, without a doubt, that they believe Wagler will have great success in the NBA. I mean, just look at what he did for the Illini in his lone season in Champaign. He led Brad Underwood's squad to the Final Four, the first one for Illinois since 2004, and was close to getting to the big game, but fell just short against UConn.

Now in L.A., Wagler is showing what made him so great at Illinois, and teammates like Kris Dunn, who has been with the Clippers for two seasons now, and Darius Garland, who was traded to the Clippers last season, are his biggest supporters.

Dunn spoke the most on Wagler's behalf, saying that while he didn't intend to come in and mentor Wagler, and still doesn't, he has created more os a genuine relationship with the former Illinois star. Dunn broke down the parts of Wagler's game he loves the most, like his ability to process things fast and having a very high basketball IQ.

"One thing I learned about Keaton is he processes things very fast. He’s got a very high IQ. He’s been playing really well," Dunn said. "He’s been shooting the ball really well; he’s really good in the pick-and-roll. He’s able to get his teammates involved. And then defensively, he’s been holding his own.

Then there is Garland, who seems to love Wagler. During an interview as part of the Clippers' media days, the reporter asked what they should focus on when asking the guys questions. Garland didn't hesitate to give his rookie some high praise.

"How good Keaton Wagler is," Garland said.

So, clearly, he wants the attention to be on Wagler, and he wants reporters to focus on that this season, and to me, that sounds like he believes Wagler is going to light up the court.

Finally, head coach Ty Lue talked about Wagler's game, and not only has he improved on the court, but also in the weight room. Just like Underwood's squad has this offseason, Wagler has also been in the gym and has even put on more pounds of muscle, and is ready to face more physical competition at the next level.

The NBA is not college basketball, but with the young talent coming to the pros this season, Wagler has a real chance to make an impact on the Clippers this season. He could even make a play for NBA Rookie of the Year.

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