The vibes are high in Mānoa, but Tyronn Lue spent Day 2 talking about something less glamorous: rebounding. After Clippers training camp Day 2 on Wednesday, September 30, inside Gym II at the University of Hawaiʻi, Lue admitted this roster is undersized and said toughness on the glass will decide a lot of nights. Meanwhile, two of his most trusted veterans, Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr., pointed to the same rookie as camp’s early standout: Keaton Wagler.
Here is what we learned on Wednesday, what Lue wants from his starting group while Brandon Ingram is out, and the preseason dates ahead.
Clippers Training Camp Day 2: “We’re Definitely a Smaller Team”
Lue did not hide from the biggest question about this roster. “Playing hard has to be ahead of everything,” he said Wednesday. “We’ve got some different defensive philosophies… we have some new guys and (assistant Jeff Van Gundy) does a good job of getting everyone acclimated to what we’re trying to do. We’re definitely a smaller team in height and size. We’ve got to be tough-minded. We’ve got to be tough every night, we’ve got to rebound the basketball every night and we’ve got to bring a physicality to rebound the ball.”
Brook Lopez is the most experienced center in camp, and the frontcourt behind him is thin. That makes rebounding a five-man job, with guards and wings crashing to finish possessions.
Lue also explained why he thinks the offense has to be ahead early. Teams run so many good sets, he said, that it is hard to be great defensively every single night. So his priorities on offense are simple: understand the system, take care of the ball, crash the glass, share the ball and keep the pace up.
Rui Hachimura and the Glass
One player Lue wants to unlock on the boards is Rui Hachimura. Asked why Hachimura’s rebounding numbers were modest with the Lakers, Lue pointed to his former teammates, noting that LeBron James and Luka Doncic are great rebounders, so there were fewer chances. With the Clippers, that changes. “With our team and how small we are, we have to take advantage of him being a good rebounder,” Lue said.
Starting Lineup: Shooting, Movement and Fit
With Ingram out to start the season, Lue said the starting decision still comes down to fit, meaning who works best with the first unit. He also told reporters what he is looking for in camp: “I think we’re going to need shooting for sure,” he said, adding that the Clippers will need movement and players who can cut and move without the ball.
That description fits several candidates in camp, including Max Strus, Gradey Dick, Kobe Sanders, Jones Jr. and Dunn. It also helps explain why Wagler is getting so much attention. For Day 1’s starting-job storyline, revisit our Clippers training camp opener.
Keaton Wagler Is Turning Heads
Asked who has surprised him over the last month and in camp, Dunn named the rookie without hesitating. He said Wagler processes the game very quickly, has been shooting well, is good in the pick-and-roll and has held his own defensively. Dunn also explained how their relationship formed. “Me and Keaton, we kind of built the relationship just being genuine,” he said. “I didn’t come in and be like I’m going to mentor a kid. I don’t do things like that. I just got to play a lot with him in pickup. One thing I learned about Keaton is he processes things really fast. He’s been playing well. My main thing for him is just make sure your mentals are good.”
Jones Jr. agreed. “I expect big things,” he said of Wagler, describing a rookie who looks comfortable coming off the pick-and-roll, getting downhill and making plays for others and himself.
Lue plans to use him that way. Even when Wagler shares the floor with Darius Garland, Lue said he will get “a lot of opportunities” on the ball “because he’s a great pick-and-roll player.” That could mean Wagler bringing it up, catching it on the move or running pick-and-roll from different spots. We profiled the rookie before camp in our Keaton Wagler camp preview.
Dunn and Jones Jr.: “Everybody Has Bought In”
The veterans also described a locker room that started working early. Lue said it is rare for an entire team to be together since around Labor Day weekend, and Dunn said that commitment showed. “We understand how important this season is for us and we want to come out with a good start, and I think we did that showing up early in the summer,” Dunn said. “Everybody has bought in.”
Jones Jr. embraced the outside doubts. “Everybody enjoys being around each other,” he said. “We all want to see each other be great. Everybody saying that we underdogs and everything right now but we’ve got the mindset that we know what we can do.”
Dunn said the main thing to clean up after Day 1 was execution, so plays run with timing and pace by the regular season. Lue’s own Day 1 review was similar: good conditioning, the right intent and some turnovers to clean up.
Lue’s Rough First Training Camp
Asked about his own first NBA training camp, Lue shared a story from his rookie season with the Lakers. He said veterans including Shaquille O’Neal, Elden Campbell, Sean Rooks and Corie Blount “baptized” him after he failed to do something expected of him before practice. They duct-taped him to a chair and covered him in ice and Icy Hot, and he said he had to practice with the Icy Hot still on. His Day 2 plan as a rookie, he said, was just to absorb everything he could.
Injury Watch: Ingram and Beal
Ingram did light shooting and court work with Van Gundy before Tuesday’s practice and watched the contact portion from the side, ESPN reported. He has been ruled out to start the regular season as he recovers from heel surgery that also repaired a partially torn Achilles. “As he gets closer, we got to start getting him on the floor and going through the plays, seeing what he likes,” Lue said. Bradley Beal was held out at the start of camp with right knee inflammation. Full injury background is in our Media Day report.
Watch: Clippers Day 2 Media Availability
Hear from Lue, Jones Jr. and Dunn in the Clippers’ official Day 2 media availability:
Clippers Preseason Schedule
- Sunday, Oct. 4: vs. Golden State Warriors, Bankoh Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center, Honolulu, 1 p.m. Hawaiʻi time (4 p.m. PT)
- Saturday, Oct. 10: vs. Toronto Raptors in Vancouver, the first preseason meeting with Kawhi Leonard’s new team
- Wednesday, Oct. 14: vs. Denver Nuggets, Intuit Dome
The regular season opens October 21 against the Sacramento Kings at Intuit Dome. Until then, the questions are clear: who rebounds on a small team, who fits next to Garland, and how fast Wagler earns real minutes. Watch the media availability above and follow InfanityTV for daily Clippers training camp coverage from Hawaiʻi.
