With the 24th-overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers have selected Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, a 21-year-old French wing who spent last season overseas with the Mega Leks of the Adriatic League.
NBA Draft 2016: 76ers select Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot at No. 24
The 76ers added another athlete with the 24th pick.
Luwawu is a prototypical 3-and-D player who projects to turn into something even better. At 6’7 with a 6’11 wingspan, Luwawu has great size and is an extremely fluid athlete. His frequent dunks are the first thing that will catch your eye, as he easily plays above the rim and runs the floor in transition.
Behind the arc, Luwawu is just as comfortable, hitting 37 percent of his triples last season on well over five attempts per game. He plays hard on both ends, which has helped him develop into a versatile defender capable of switching between several positions, a skill that is so coveted in the modern NBA. While there’s always a transition period for rookies, Luwawu has the type of athleticism that should allow him to adjust smoothly when he’s playing against the elite competition in the league. Overall, you really can see that Luwawu’s game is mature for a prospect as young as he is.
On Mega Leks, Luwawu was frequently asked to be the main creator on offense, running pick-and-rolls and creating off the dribble. His turnovers spiked last season, but those should come down as he settles into a less involved role. You can't rule out Luwawu's potential to grow into a Jimmy Butler or Paul George type wing, but there's a lot of work needed before he can reach that level.
Luwawu struggles off the dribble, with a release too slow to consistently find shots inside the arc when they’re not coming at the rim. There’s room for him to improve at the rim, too, despite his excellent athleticism. In isolation, Luwawu often struggles to get past his man, lacking the shiftiness or ball handling to consistently shake free. And while his three-pointer is great, it doesn’t make him stand out from the second tier of the draft like a Buddy Hield.
Still, the floor for Luwawu is high. There’s always room for 3-and-D players in today’s NBA, especially ones who can throw down a highlight-reel dunk now and again. Luwawu’s time at Mega Leks last year was excellent for him, allowing him to develop as a scorer even if he won’t immediate play such a role now that he has been drafted. Right now, Luwawu can immediately help just by bearing down on whoever he is tasked with guarding, hitting open shots and running the floor.
That’s valuable, even if Luwawu’s realistic chances to develop into a George or Butler are slim. Perhaps projecting him as a second option, one who locks down several positions while scoring 15 points per game, is a more reasonable expectation for Luwawu to reach his best. If he becomes that, who could complain?
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