Milwaukee Bucks: Getting to know two-way player Axel Toupane

How does Axel Toupane fit with the Milwaukee Bucks?

Toupane returned to full health and showing off his improved skill set over his time with Santa Cruz Warriors where he averaged 17.9 points on .544/.386/.739 shooting, 8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals in nine regular season appearances.

Showing an improved physique after his spate of injuries, Toupane now gives the Bucks more size, athleticism and positional versatility on the wing.

But Toupane brings a little more than juice than just being prototypical 3-and-D wing that all NBA teams are seeking. To that point, Toupane sports some creativity off the dribble, whether it’s with a head of steam in transition or showing off some shake in pick-and-rolls.

To maximize his role in the NBA and in Milwaukee, Toupane will surely put his exquisite cutting ability and timing to good use. And with his superb finishing skills at his size, Toupane astoundingly put down 29 of his 33 attempts within the restricted area in the G League this season, per the G League’s stats database.

The biggest question offensively that followed Toupane over his career has been his shooting deficiencies. Yet his time with Santa Cruz showed the most ideal way to mitigate his shooting range concerns as he shot 11-for-29 from both corner spots in the G League (37.9 percent).

On the defensive end, Toupane’s size and physical tools (6’11” wingspan) and instincts make him a smart team defender, especially when tasked as being a weak-side defender. And Toupane’s nose for the ball shows in his prolific rebounding numbers, especially after tallying a 21.5 defensive rebounding percentage with the Warriors.

Now whether Toupane will get a chance to showcase his skills, even in limited minutes remains to be seen. But he’s shown enough to warrant another look in the NBA and the Bucks’ interest stayed intact after many years and gained experiences along the way. Welcome back to Milwaukee, Axel!