Nuggets Power Rankings: No. 13, Joffrey Lauvergne
By Evan Wheeler
The Denver Nuggets’ preseason roster includes 19 players, and the team will try to figure out which 15 of them deserve a shot during the regular season throughout the team’s seven-game exhibition slate.
But, for now, how do these players stack up? We polled our staff writers and editor at Nugg Love to get a consensus power ranking of every player on the roster, and we’ll be releasing one player each day from October 5 to 23, starting from No. 19 and finishing at No. 1.
Joffrey Lauvergne enters his second season with the Nuggets, coming off a solid 24-game stint in his rookie year. The Frenchman has a chance to see his role increase under new head coach Mike Malone and, at only 24 years old, has a ton of upside. Let’s take a look at what to expect from Lauvergne in his sophomore season with Denver.
Who is Joffrey Lauvergne?
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Lauvergne is a 6’11”, 220-pound forward/center from Mulhouse, France and was the 55th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft.
He was traded on draft night, along with forward Darrell Arthur, from the Memphis Grizzlies to Denver for center Kosta Koufos. Lauvergne played two seasons overseas for European clubs Elan Chalon and Partizan. During that span, he averaged 10.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 28 percent from the three point line.
Over the past few years, Lauvergne has been a member of the French national basketball team. His father, Stephane, played for the national team as well, appearing in 16 games for France from 1989 to 1995.
Lauvergne plays alongside other NBA players on the team such as Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier. He’s helped the team medal in the past two EuroBasket tournaments, as France won the gold in 2013 and the bronze this summer.
He played a meaningful role for the French in 2015, averaging 9.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 17.7 minutes per game.
Strengths
Lauvergne is an extremely skilled big man who also happens to have a bit of a mean streak to him. According to the Nuggets’ official website, he has a background in judo, boxing and hockey, which explains why he plays with such fire and physicality.
The offensive versatility that Lauvergne has at 6’11” is probably understated and undervalued by most basketball fans. Lauvergne, at 6’11”, has pretty decent handles and has some ability to create off the dribble. He has a solid post game, can finish over both shoulders and has the shooting ability to stretch the floor and extend the defense. Lauvergne is probably most valuable as a roll man in the pick and roll, as he can be effective as a pick-and-pop guy or rolling to the rim.
He’s also got a good motor, constantly playing with high energy and making hustle plays.
Possibly his best skill, Lauvergne is a very good rebounder, particularly on the offensive end.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, Lauvergne had an offensive rebound percentage of 10.5 last season and also averaged 3.6 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes. He always fights on the glass and does a good job of outworking defenders.
Lastly, Lauvergne is a solid athlete with good length and does a solid job of finishing with authority, as well as through contact at the rim.
Weaknesses
Possibly the biggest hole in Lauvergne’s game is his habit of fouling too much.
This shouldn’t be too much of a concern, given that most young players struggle with this. However, Lauvergne’s average of nearly two fouls in only 11.2 minutes per game last season shows that this definitely an area that needs work for the second-year big.
Strength is also an area in which Lauvergne could improve. Although he is a very solid 220 pounds, Lauvergne can get bullied sometimes on the low block. Improving his strength will allow him to become a better low-post defender and make him an even better finisher at the rim.
Lauvergne, as mentioned earlier, can shoot pretty well for a 6’11” center, but his three-point shooting could improve. He only shot 19 percent from three in his rookie year but did show some improvement this offseason in the EuroBasket for France. He could also become a better shot-blocker, given his length and athleticism.
2015-16 Outlook
I really believe in Lauvergne’s ability and think he will flourish under Malone’s tutelage this season.
After good showings in the Summer league and EuroBasket, Joffrey has continued his good level of play in the preseason thus far. Lauvergne is averaging 16.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while playing 24 minutes per game in three preseason games for Denver. An even more promising sign this is that Lauvergne is only averaging two fouls per game to go along with those numbers.
Lauvergne should be starting at center for the Nuggets to begin the season over J.J. Hickson and rookie Nikola Jokic. Jusuf Nurkic, the Nuggets’ usual starting center, is expected to miss the beginning of the season while recovering from a torn patella tendon, opening up a spot for Lauvergne.
I expect a good year for Lauvergne and think he will continue to improve greatly. Defensively, he should get better under Malone and I think he will be a significant contributor to Denver’s offense in pick-and-roll situations this season, particularly with Emmanuel Mudiay.
Lauvergne’s improving ability to shoot the three gives the Nuggets another weapon to utilize along the perimeter and help their spacing offensively. Hopefully, the Frenchman will get 20 to 25 minutes a game this year and be a significant role player, if not an eventual starter at the power forward spot for Denver. Expect big things from “King Joffery” this season, Nuggets fans.
Note: All statistics are from RealGM unless otherwise indicated.