Over the next few weeks, the BSN Nuggets staff will review the Nuggets season, player-by-player. We’ll look at their performance from 2015-16 and forecast what type of impact they’ll make next season.
Reflecting on 2015-16
23-year-old old swingman Axel Toupane joined the Nuggets on a 10-day contract on Mar. 3. Prior to arriving in Denver, he played for the Raptors D-League affiliate, the 905. He averaged 14.6 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 43 percent for the 905, eventually earning D-League MVP honors and showed the ability to attack the rim, finish in transition and stretch defenses from 3-point range.
The Nuggets pounced on Toupane after Danilo Gallinari’s season-ending ankle injury left a gaping hole at the small forward spot, particularly on the offensive end. Toupane averaged just under five points per game his first five games in Denver but showed enough promise for the Nuggets to sign him to a second 10-day contract. His length on the wing at 6-foot-7 and decent shooting ability filled needs for Denver on both ends of the court.
At the end of that second 10-day, he was signed to a non-guaranteed two-year deal. Soon after, the rookie made general manager Tim Connelly look wise when he came off the bench in early April and posted a career-high 14 points in a loss to the Kings.
Toupane followed up that effort with a 10 point outing against Oklahoma City in his last game of real playing time and finished his Nuggets season averaging 3.6 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists on 36 percent shooting from the field.
Toupane got a chance to show his game at the NBA level for an injury-plagued team headed for the Lottery. At the very least, he can hang with the top players in the world and has a good chance to make this roster next season as a versatile wing.
Toupane has potential as a 3-and-D specialist and upside as a corner shooter. by locking him up to a multi-year deal with a second year that doesn’t become guaranteed until Jan. 10, Toupane should benefit from a summer developing under the eye of Nuggets staff.
Final report card grade: C+
Toupane’s length on defense could allow him to develop into a lockdown wing defener and 3-and-D specialist.
Credit: Hector Gabino, Miami Herald
Looking ahead to 2016-17
The challenge for Toupane going into the summer will be turning his feel-good story into a lasting roster spot. He survived the 10-day contract life, signing for $874,636 of non-guaranteed money for 2016-17. The operative word, of course, is non-guaranteed as his future is not even close to set in stone.
He’ll get a chance to prove his worth in Summer League, most likely, playing for what could be one of the best Summer League teams of all time. Toupane is expected to join Emmanuel Mudiay, Nikola Jokic, Jusuf Nurkic, Gary Harris and JaKarr Sampson in Las Vegas this summer.
Toupane’s shooting percentages dropped from his MVP numbers in the D-League once he joined the Nuggets to no one’s surprise, but much work should be done in the offseason to refine his jumper – especially off the bounce.
All 13 of his made 3-pointers were assisted and all came from the corners last season. It behooves Toupane to be able to create his own shot from time to time and become a more dynamic threat offensively.
It’s no secret that NBA teams crave 3-and-D wings, so there’s a built-in niche Toupane can fill. The chance is there for him to become an indispensable asset off the bench, but to do that, his defensive impact will need to evolve as well.With the caveat of a small sample size, opponents shot nearly 40 percent on 3s that Toupane defended, according to
With the caveat of a small sample size, opponents shot nearly 40 percent on 3-pointers that Toupane defended, according to NBA.com. That number was 3.3 percentage points higher than those opponents shot when guarded by anyone else. He’ll need to tighten that up but he does have the long frame needed to be a pest on the defensive end.
Toupane is a D-League success story already, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll add another chapter next season.
