Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot Must Capitalize on Chances

For an injury-ridden Philadelphia 76ers team, it is up to shooting guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to prove his worth with head coach Brett Brown.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been plagued with injuries this season. Key guys like Ben Simmons and Nerlens Noel have been out for stretches of time. Jahlil Okafor, Gerald Henderson and Joel Embiid have played with minutes restrictions. With these injuries comes opportunities for fringe players on the roster. One of these players who needs to step up when called upon is shooting guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.

Frenchman Luwawu-Cabarrot was drafted by the 76ers in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft with the 24th overall pick. He played pro ball for Croatian Pro Basketball team Mega Leks. Coming into the draft, TLC was seen as a prototypical “3-and-D” type of player. He averaged 14.6 points per game on 39.8% from the field and 37.2% from the three. On the international scene, Luwawu-Cabarrot showed his ability to do it all offensively.

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Now that he’s playing for the Sixers, you’d think he’d be making a bigger splash. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. With veterans like Gerald Henderson and Nik Stauskas on the roster, TLC hasn’t been able to break into the everyday rotation. He hasn’t had many opportunities to show what he’s got. That is, not until now.

Seemingly, injuries and struggles of Robert Covington and Jerryd Bayless have opened up the rotations, giving way to more sets involving TLC. For a guy who’s averaged 7.2 minutes per game this season, that’s important. These moments are vital, and TLC needs to capitalize.

In fifteen games this season, Luwawu has averaged a measly 2.4 points per game. To be fair, he needs more opportunities to prove himself, and more minutes at a clip. Monday against Memphis he scored 7 points in 16 minutes on 50% from the field. In addition, he grabbed 2 boards in that game. So yes, that’s a decent outing, and hopefully he can add onto that with more efficient play.

Oddly enough, one of the smart moves that Sixers management have made in handling Luwawu-Cabarrot’s situation has been allowing him to play some D-League games. But hey, at least in those games, he can play meaningful minutes while also continuing to development his game.

In two D-League games, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is averaging 7.5 points per game on 38.5% shooting from the field. On top of that, Luwawu-Cabarrot has averaged 22.6 minutes per game. Most noteworthy, that’s more than triple his minutes per game in the NBA. The guy does have the tools. All he really needs is more opportunities.

As a matter of fact, the two real foils to TLC’s game currently are his tendency to get into foul trouble and his inefficient three point shot. So far this season, Luwawu-Cabarrot has average a little under a foul per game. Per 36 minutes, that stat goes up to 4.3 fouls per game. His three point percentage has been weak as well, at 22.2%. Surprisingly, that percentage is worse than guys like Emmanuel Mudiay (26.5%), Marcus Smart (28.1%), and Jabari Parker (32.8%), all known for being terrible three point shooters.

However, with these flaws in his game, he has shown promise. The guy definitely has heart. He’s got the athleticism to compete with the best of them. With that, the defense should come. Hopefully, his shot will come along similar to the way it did in Croatia.

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In closing, when Brett Brown calls his name TLC has to be ready to answer. Ultimately, Luwawu can ball, we know that. Yes, it’s going to take time to get him to wear he needs to be. Luckily, the Sixers organization is all about time. Time is of the essence. Time spent on a NBA court or on a D-League court will be valuable to Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot’s growth as a player.