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Timothe Luwawu, 6’7″ Shooting Guard/Small Forward, France, 21 years old
Timothe Luwawu is a French shooting guard/small forward out of the Serbia League who figures to be a late mid to late first round pick. Luwawu’s team the Mega Leks went on to win the Serbia League in 2016 thanks to Luwawu’s efforts. Luwawu averaged 14.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists over 30.1 minutes per game. However Luwawu’s season came to an end early as he suffered an ankle injury in May which kept him out of the Serbia league playoffs. Luwawu has arguably the most potential in the draft, but lack of experience against top players could lead to a fall into the 2nd round. He is another in the long line of European NBA prospects in recent years.
Strengths
Luwawu shoots the ball well. He has range and makes three-pointers. Luwawu connected on 36 percent of his shots from behind the arc last season. Luwawu is a very good shooter, but his defense is a concern for many NBA teams. Luwawu is also a very raw player. However, many NBA teams see this as a positive. They can take that player and mold him into what they want. He has a good mix of size and athleticism. With some work, he could become a solid player at both ends of the court.
Weaknesses
Luwawu’s main weakness is his defense and shot selection. The Mega Leks is a team for young Europeans to develop their game. Luwawu often took questionable shots. He was also unable to set pick and rolls for his other teammates. Many NBA teams however think they can fix Luwawu’s defense as again he is a very raw prospect. Luwawu also has to work on his overall strength to be a consistent NBA player. He often shied away from contact, and as a result Luwawu rarely gets to the free throw line.
NBA Player Comparison
At worst Timothe Luwawu looks like Thabo Sefolosha, an average bench player who can come in and hit shots. At the best it is too hard to predict as Luwawu’s raw potential is hard to determine. Seeing how he develops in the next several years will be key.
Luwawu looks like a potential late first round, early second round pick. It will be interesting to see if any teams are interested in taking him, and letting him continue to develop in Europe. Some teams may want to bring him over immediately, which would allow him to get experience in the D-League.
Main Photo By Mkdbasket2014 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48143480
