Axel Hervelle’s time is now.
According to Nuggets coach George Karl, it is time for the team to take a real look at its 2005 second-round draft pick and come to a conclusion on whether he has a future in Denver.
“It’s a process of evaluation of when does he want to come here, and we’re going to spend some time with him on and off the court and see if we can work out a situation for him,” Karl said Thursday. “My gut feeling says from what I know of him, the situation is time for us to make a decision and move on and give him his opportunity or let him have his opportunity (elsewhere) in the NBA.”
Next week’s NBA summer league in Las Vegas will go a long way in determining Hervelle’s worth. The Belgian has played the past two seasons in Spain, helping Real Madrid during 2006-07 with averages of 8.7 points and 5.3 rebounds.
“I wish to be one day in Denver,” the 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward said. “So it’s really important to show all I can do.”
According to Karl, Hervelle stood out as “probably one of the best big guys in Spain right now. Most of the NBA feels he can play in the NBA.”
Hervelle says the past two years have helped his game grow exponentially.
“I’m more consistent with my shot. I can penetrate more. I’m more physical than two years ago,” Hervelle said. “I am better than two years ago, for sure.”
Still, the NBA would present a challenge.
“Does he want to build a career by coming off the bench and playing small minutes and building that up into big minutes?” Karl said. “Or does he want to continue to be a starter and a star in Spain?”
No pressure
Karl smiled as he explained the no-stress aspect of summer- league play. Talent evaluations are what the next week will be about, he said.
“For us it’s a time to have fun,” Karl said. “We’ve got some guys that probably have a bigger magnifying glass on (them) to see what they do. Last year, I think we had five guys off our summer-league team get contracts, not with us, but with other teams.”
Karl on Coby
The Nuggets face the Los Angeles Lakers on July 13 in summer league – a game made more significant with Karl’s son, Coby, playing for the Lakers.
“(It’s a) good opportunity for him to play for two weeks in a good system, which I think fits his style,” Karl said, “and then be seen down in Vegas by 18, 20, 30 teams.”
Footnotes
The Nuggets and free agent Chucky Atkins will meet soon, according to a league source. Atkins, 32, is one of the Nuggets’ top targets in a search to fill their vacant point-guard slot. He averaged 13.2 points and 4.6 assists last season for Memphis, while shooting 37 percent from 3-point range. … Nuggets assistant John Welch will coach the Nuggets’ summer-league team. … Guard Mario Boggan will not be a part of Denver’s summer- league team after all. After a Thursday morning practice, Boggan took an afternoon flight out of town. … Former Colorado guard Antoine McGee is practicing with the team.
Staff writer Chris Dempsey can be reached at 303-954-127 or cdempsey@denverpost.com.
