Philadelphia 76ers Need More TLC For Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot

The Philadelphia 76ers found great late-season production from shooting guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. So why no TLC for him this year?

When the Philadelphia 76ers selected Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot with the 24th pick of the 2016 NBA Draft, I almost fell out of my chair. By my estimation, he was a top ten pick who has tremendous upside for a role desperately needed by the Philadelphia 76ers.

That dreaded “Three And D” role that was so difficult to fill for the team in the prior season. He filled that need beautifully.

But Luwawu-Cabarrot did not arrive as a ready made plug and play. His tenacity, energy, and athleticism were both positives and negatives.  You see, he fouled… alot.  In December 2016, he averaged 9 minutes per game of playing time, and 2 personal fouls per game.

Raw is a kind word to describe his play. His head coach, Brett Brown, had another term for it: “wreckless abandon”.

Some felt that the raw energy of Luwawu would prove to be more than a match for the overstretched player development skills of the Philadelphia 76ers, and of Brett Brown

Turnaround

But if you need proof of the coaching acumen of Brett Brown, look no further than Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.

Turnaround indeed!

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Watching Luwawu-Cabarrot play is energizing to the fans. On one hand, he plays with an intensity born from the passion in the stands.  On the other hand, he rises to the competition, seemingly improving and getting stronger with each play.  In summary, he shows no fear.

He fell in the draft due to the inability to guarantee his upside.  The talent was there, the athleticism was there. But any NBA team needed patience to develop that upside.  The Philadelphia 76ers selected him, and then gave him time to grow naturally.

Bet On TLC to Come Through

Patience paid off.  Luwawu got the start on March 11, 2017 against the Los Angeles Clippers.  His assignment was guarding sharpshooter J.J. Redick.  Per an article by Jessica Camerato, that drew wagers from the coaching staff.   The bet was simple.   If Redick scored on his first shot in the game, TLC had to cut his hair.

Per that article, Redick took the first two shots, and missed both. Camerato even includes this blurp from Coach Brown:

"“I think that his (Luwawu’s) athleticism and his improving toughness and improving understanding of NBA basketball is equaling somebody that I feel comfortable playing, and to the point where I felt comfortable ending the game with him,” Brown said. “Although the stats don’t really show it, he had a solid game and I think defensively, when you look at J.J.’s numbers, I think it confirms it a little.”"

Redick finished the game with below average performances. While Luwawu did not play much better offensively, he held his own in the game.

But the best was yet to come.  In fact, he finshed the season stronger than many expected

What A Finale!

Luwawu began his NBA career on the bench, coming in at the end of games for small spot minutes. As December 2016 arrived, he had played in 11 games at an average of six minutes per game.  He needed minutes.

But the seed of confidence Brown planted in his player in March grew roots. In fact, it grew like weeds after a rainstorm.

Luwawu’s scoring average practically doubled every two months.   It began at two points per game, then four, then nine.  But in April 2017, he averaged over 18 points per game with three rebounds, two assists and two steals per game. For the month, his perimeter shot finally got on track as well, elevating to 36 percent accuracy.

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His final game of the season occurred on April 12, 2017 against the New York Knicks. He shot 50 percent from the floor, included 33 percent from three-point range, pulled down two rebounds and dished out three assists. He put 14 points on the scoreboard in 24 minutes of play.

Now, the 2017 NBA Draft has plenty of young talent. But as we look to improve the team, let’s not ignore the upsides of existing players.  Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot had a tremendous rookie season.   In the words of Coach Brown, he’s  a “Keeper”.