Philadelphia 76ers: Luwawu Won't be Effective Right Away

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot was a solid get for the Philadelphia 76ers in this year’s NBA Draft, but he won’t be effective right away.

The Philadelphia 76ers were blessed with who fell to them in the NBA Draft. Of course, they had the opportunity to build their own destiny this year by obtaining the first overall pick and selecting Ben Simmons, but with the 24th and 26th overall picks, they were at the mercy of other teams and who they selected.

With picks that late in the first round, you could be left with players who really can’t do much for your team, and may take years to reach their ceilings. But the Sixers were blessed to pick up two solid players who should have a lot of success in the NBA, given what their initial skill sets look like.

At No. 24, the Sixers selected Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and at No. 26, the Sixers selected Furkan Korkmaz.

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Right away, we knew that Korkmaz was unlikely to play for the Sixers this season. He’s just not ready to make the jump to the NBA, and will be stashed away overseas (on the same exact team that Dario Saric was stashed on for two years, the Anadolu Efes) before coming to America.

It did look like, however, Luwwau was ready to come to America and that the Sixers would bring him over. Right away, he was introduced in the Sixers’ press conference alongside first overall pick Simmons, and he was also brought down to summer league. All indications point to Luwawu playing for the Sixers this year.

That being said, he may not get the playing time that he needs to be a completely effective player right off of the bat.

Following the NBA Draft, the Sixers made some signings to try to help bolster their backcourt and add some stopgap players to make the Sixers good now while saving money for later. They made three notable signings (Jerryd Bayless, Gerald Henderson, Sergio Rodriguez) and all of them were in the backcourt.

Because of these signings, and the fact that Luwawu is a rookie and also a player transitioning from one league to another, I would say we shouldn’t expect him to play very much, and should even expect him to appear with the Delaware 87ers on D-League assignments from the Sixers.

I know, this might disappoint some Sixers fans, and it even disappoints me. Luwawu was a great get and I’d love to see what he could do with 15-20 minutes per game, but it’s just not logical to start him, nor to take away minutes from veteran players who know the NBA better than Luwawu.

I wouldn’t play Luwawu less than Bayless or Henderson. They’re older, wiser with the game, and have proven themselves in the NBA with great longevity. Rodriguez is a bit different, having played overseas for the past few years.

That’s not to say that any player with NBA experience should play more than Luwawu. If you gave me the decision to pick Nik Stauskas or Timothe Luwawu, at this point, I would select Luwawu.

The thought of Luwawu going down to the D-League seems like an insult just because of what the D-League has been over the last several years. But be aware, that it shouldn’t be viewed this ay anymore. The D-League is no longer a graveyard for washed up players and players who couldn’t quite make it to the NBA. Sure, some of those types of players will find their way there, but it can also be utilized as a location for developing players who aren’t getting minutes at the NBA level to play and still be developed so that when they do get minutes, they’re ready to go.

Next: Has Jamaal Charles Lost a Step?

Luwawu may not be effective in NBA games right away for Philly this season, but over the next few years, as he reaches his ceiling, he will be a key role to the Sixers roster.

It May Take Time for Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to be Effective for Sixers

By Josh Wilson | Jul 21, 2016

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot was a solid get for the Philadelphia 76ers in this year’s NBA Draft, but he won’t be effective right away.

More from The Sixer Sense