INGLEWOOD — When Clippers guard Kobe Sanders looks at fellow guard Keaton Wagler sitting two lockers away, he sees himself.
It’s not just the fact that they have similar builds, easy smiles and trendy afro cuts. It goes way beyond jump shots and defensive stops, back to last season when Sanders was the all-too-eager rookie looking to make an impact in his first NBA season.
But there are differences. Wagler was the No. 5 overall pick in June’s NBA draft and is playing with enormous expectations. He played just one season of college basketball at Illinois and entered the league as a young 19-year-old but plays with the confidence of someone more experienced.
Sanders was a late second-round pick out of Nevada and most of the pressure he felt was self-inflicted, which translated into a drive to succeed. And he succeeded.
Sanders averaged 7.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists over 68 games (16 starts) during his rookie campaign and by February last season, the Clippers had promoted the 6-foot-8 guard from his two-way contract to a standard deal, earmarking him as a future star. He signed a four-year, $11.2 million deal in July.
Just seven games into his second season, Sanders is averaging 11 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals. In his second start, he scored a career-high 26 points in the Clippers’ 125-118 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.
“Just knowing how to play a role and adapting from the role in college you played, where you’re the main guy, to coming to the NBA where you’re not,” Sanders said of how he managed expectations his rookie year.
He also sought advice from veterans, such as guard Kris Dunn and forward Derrick Jones Jr., players who had been in similar situations to help him navigate the NBA. He credits them for his rapid learning curve.
“Just leaning on guys who could give advice from being in similar situations,” he said.
Dunn, the No. 5 pick in the 2016 draft, bounced between the NBA and the G League for several seasons before he secured a multi-year deal with the Utah Jazz in 2023. In 2024, he signed a three-year, $16.3 million contract with the Clippers via a sign-and-trade agreement and has been a mainstay on defense since.
“Focusing on the defensive side, I leaned heavily on them and because they didn’t have the traditional path to the NBA, both of them,” Sanders said.
This season, Sanders hopes to develop into an all-around player, someone who can excel on offense and bring a tenacity to the defense. He missed training camp and the preseason with a hip impingement he suffered during a workout.
“I think I have the potential of being a really good two-way player and just focusing on being a good catch-and-shoot guy on the offensive side and bringing that defensive intensity,” he said.
Assistant coach Brian Shaw has watched Sanders emerge into a talented ball handler and “someone who can handle some of the pressure that these teams are throwing against us.
“He puts in his time. We have an old saying, ‘When you pay your dues, your dues will pay you back.’ I think he’s a perfect example of that,” Shaw said.
While focusing on his game, Sanders will be keeping an eye on Wagler’s progress. The unflappable rookie already has shown poise in shaking off poor shooting games to excel at the free-throw line. In seven games, Wagler has gone to the line 46 times (shooting 84.8%) despite his skinny 6-5, 188-pound frame.
“To see how poised he stays no matter the ups and downs and shows just the hell of a player he is,” Sanders said. “It shows every night; his feel for the game is always there and whether his shots fall or whatever, he always makes an impact on the game.”
HEAT AT CLIPPERS
When: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Intuit Dome
TV/Radio: Clippervision/570 AM