Javin DeLaurier offers intriguing defensive potential for the Bucks
The 6'10" center has mostly flown under the radar, but DeLaurier has shown real development this season.
The 2021-21 Wisconsin Herd season has been a rough one for wins and losses as the Herd sits firmly out of the playoff picture with an 8-16 record, but the G League club’s main goal is to develop players. From Lindell Wigginton signing a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks to Wenyen Gabriel latching on with the Los Angeles Lakers and Sandro Mamukelashvili getting more high-usage reps, the Herd have some obvious development victories this season.
One less obvious one is Javin DeLaurier taking significant steps ahead in his development as a two-way center. My first time watching DeLaurier was with the Bucks in preseason, and I was less than impressed then. DeLaurier played four years at Duke and logged 7 games with the Greensboro Swarm in the G League in his rookie season, and had yet to hit an average of 4 points per game in any of those seasons. His first shot attempt in the preseason was viciously blocked by Xavier Tillman. All of this goes to say the 23-year-old big man was coming into his first season with the Herd without much in the way of outside expectation.
Since then, DeLaurier has proven he can impact games defensively while showing some flashes on the offensive end as well despite not getting consistent playing time. Mamu and Gabriel both are slotted in as starters when they’re with the Herd, and Jemerrio Jones also played ahead of DeLaurier at times prior to his trade to South Bay.
Still, DeLaurier has managed to put together his best statistical season by far, averaging 6.4 points, 7.8 rebounds. 1.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game in just 21.6 minutes. He’s a low usage player, but DeLaurier takes care of the ball when he does have it, turning the ball over less than 1 time per game.
Herd head coach Chaisson Allen credited DeLaurier with giving consistent impact in his minutes over the last few games for Wisconsin, despite the roster lacking another true big to pair with him in a center rotation.
“If you look at these last four games when we had one big available basically, Javin DeLaurier, he’s always in the plus when you’re looking at plus-minus,” Allen said. “So it’s kind of telling that when he’s in the game he helps us out a lot.”
DeLaurier’s on-off splits are indeed profound. The Herd have a net rating of +1.1, meaning they outscore opposing teams by 1.1 points per 100 possessions, when he plays. When DeLaurier is not on the floor, Wisconsin has gotten beat by 11.4 points per 100 possessions. Much of that impact stems from defense: with DeLaurier on the floor, the Herd have allowed just 102.3 points per 100 possessions, which would be first in the G League this season. When he’s not out there Wisconsin has allowed 115.4 points per 100, which would be last among G League teams.
Many centers continue to get minutes in the NBA and G League because they do dirty work down in the trenches: jostling for box out position, taking contact repeatedly on drives and post-ups, setting hard screens. DeLaurier embraces that stuff.
“My background, I grew up on a farm,” he said. “A lot of times, you just got to do stuff nobody wants to do. That’s how I relate to doing post work. A lot of its grimy, you’re in the lane, you’re butting, it’s ugly, and nobody wants to do it. But that’s kind of my bread and butter, that’s what I pride myself on.”
When asked about his development this season, DeLaurier said his focus is simply trying to improve his game and contribute to wins every chance he gets. He also credited the Bucks organization for taking a direct approach with players in terms of developmental goals.
“They do a great job of making sure that we know exactly what they want from us,” DeLaurier said. “We have player development meetings several times throughout the year where the coaches sit down with us and check in on how we’re doing. They do a pretty good job of being transparent of what they want.”
In the most recent Herd game, a loss to the Maine Celtics, DeLaurier showcased both his defensive capabilities and his high percentile athleticism for big men. He dunked twice in the first minute and a half, the first time the result of a smooth pick and roll with Jalen Lecque, and the second entirely of his own making as he picked off a perimeter pass and took it to the house.
“I think that’s one of the biggest advantages I have – I’m tall, but I’m quick, I’m fast, I can switch and be versatile, especially defensively,” DeLaurier said. “That’s something I pride myself on and something I continue to work on.”
DeLaurier ended the game with 14 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 1 block. In addition to the impact plays that wind up on the stat sheet, DeLaurier has a constant net positive effect on the defense when he’s anchoring it, as he’s always talking from his perch in the middle of the paint.
“Generally at the 5 you’re able to see everything,” DeLaurier said. “Something I learned at Duke was the value of communication, talking makes everything easier out there. So I really just try to be as vocal as I can.”
On the other end of the floor, DeLaurier’s offensive game is fairly unrefined, and he cited both finishing at the rim and developing an outside shot as areas of focus for him. He currently functions as a DeAndre Jordan-type player, with three-quarters of his made shots coming on assists and most buckets the result of put-backs, rolling to the rim, or moving in transition.
There’s no problem with a center who sticks to scoring on great looks in the paint, but finishing efficiently at the rim is probably DeLaurier’s swing skill that will determine his ceiling: he’s shooting just 52.7% this season despite 86% of his scoring coming in the paint. (Cutting back on drawn fouls will matter here too — DeLaurier is currently getting whistled for more than 3 fouls in his 21 minutes per game.)
Having a defensive-minded center has been quite good for the Bucks over the last several years. DeLaurier is no Brook Lopez right now obviously, and there’s no guarantee he progresses to be an NBA rotation piece much less a core piece on a title team. It’s not hard to see the making of an intriguing player when watching him with the Herd though, given his athleticism, size, and defensive acumen. I hope the Bucks can keep him in their system after this season, potentially as a two-way player, to see if he continues to grow on both ends.