Sixers Rookie Wing Developing Quickly In Minimal Playing Time
Sixers’ rookie Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot has shown promising signs of development in minimal playing time.
When the Sixers drafted Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, he was always looked at as a long-term project. The French wing has seen sparse NBA minutes, while going back and forth between Philadelphia and Delaware.
A less than impressive summer league solidified the “long-term” narrative, as he struggled to impact the game scoring wise. He did show the ability to make smart cuts to the basket without the ball, and proved he could be a half-decent defender. It was also encouraging to see Luwawu-Cabarrot play off of pegged star Ben Simmons effectively.
The up and down summer league didn’t pave way to newfound minutes for Luwawu-Cabarrot, however patience has paid off recently. His development in just the first few months of the season has been incredible to watch when comparing his time with Mega Leks to now.
More from Philadelphia 76ers
- 3 Reasons the 76ers Should Poach Blake Griffin From the Celtics
- 3 Most Overpaid 76ers Heading Into the 2023 Season
- Ranking Daryl Morey’s 3 Biggest Mistakes with 76ers
- 3 Teams Crazy Enough to Trade for James Harden
- James Harden Putting Career in Jeopardy With Holdout Threat
Luwawu-Cabarrot was always comfortable with creating his own opportunities in the Adriatic League. He often blew by the shaky perimeter defense towards an easier layup. In fact, he excelled with the ball in his hands.
His role with the Sixers will rarely see him controlling the offense, which is why seeing his paths to the rim without the ball start to make an impact is promising for this team moving forward. Luwawu-Cabarrot quickly finds open lanes for easy opportunities, opening up the offense for himself.
It’s the same philosophy, but different base. He’s still creating opportunities for himself, but doing it without the ball. The adjustment period is coming along quicker than expected, though he still tends to make mistakes with the ball in his hands.
His assist to turnover ratio was a problem in the Adriatic League, and it continues in the NBA. He has amassed 19 assists, but has coughed up 23 turnovers. It’s a skill that still needs polishing for him to reach his full potential as a prototypical wing player. His passing from the wing will become important, but his hesitance and inaccurate passes have halted him from seeing immediate success.
His shot selection has been comforting. Although he has minimal chances, the shots he takes are rarely forced. His efficiency isn’t quite there, but it shows an understanding of what his role is on the Sixers. His outside shooting is transferring nicely thus far which will help him gain minutes in the short term as well.
Defensively, his length often subdues his inability to stay in front quicker guards, which will also need some development. Luwawu-Cabarrot’s size still has him pegged as a tweener. He’s long enough to guard small forwards, but his strength is still a working aspect.
His instincts on the defensive end are there however, as he uses his long arms to deny passing lanes. It often seems like the top half of his body is moving quicker than the bottom-half, but as of now it isn’t hurting him too much.
The Sixers have a quickly developing prospect in their hands. His progression is reaching a point to where it’s difficult to continue to give him a minuscule portion of the minutes. He still has the potential to reach a prime-Trevor Ariza type, a defending wing that can act as a third scoring option on a winning team. The progression must continue, but as of now there’s no signs of slowing down.
His recent performance against Houston (ironically enough against Ariza), was a career best. He racked up 12 points in 12 minutes, shooting a perfect five for five from the field.
The scoring outburst may earn him some more regular minutes, but even if he stays stashed on the bench, monitoring his progression will have a hidden importance to this rebuild. He’s by no means a franchise changer, or that’s what it seems like now. But Luwawu-Cabarrot is exactly the willing wing player the team could utilize in a three-and-D role.