2016 Houston Rockets Draft Prospect Series: Timothe Luwawu

The 2016 NBA Draft will take place on Thursday June 23rd with the Houston Rockets selecting 37th and 43rd. While the Rockets are without a first round pick given GM Daryl Morey’s tendency to orchestrate trades it would be unwise to count him out of making a deal to move up. Timothe Luwawu is a 2-way player he should consider.

Draft Prospect:

Specifics:

Height: 6’7″
Weight: 205 lbs
Country: Cannes, France
Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward
Age: 21
Wingspan: 6’11”
College or Pro League: Mega Leks in Serbia
Stat line: 28 Games, 14.6 Points Per Game, 4.8 Rebounds Per Game, 2.8 Assists Per Game

Current Rank:

ESPN Chad Ford: 28

Draft Express: 14

NBA Scott Howard Cooper: 13

Bleacher Report: 24

The Skills:

Mock draft boards list him in a wide range from being a lottery pick to just inside the first round. The reason some have him climbing into the lottery teams is his 2-way game, ability to pass with either hand and his constantly improving game.

Playing with Mega Leks in Serbia alongside a plethora of other 20 somethings Luwawu was given the opportunity to grow his game and develop via in game situations.

With so few 2-way players in the draft Luwawu has seen his stock rise and with the draft just days away he’s now more likely to be among the lottery picks then his originally projected mid to late 20’s rank.

His commitment to improvement saw his shooting range improve this season and while he had bouts of inconsistency the fact he’s a gym rat will bode well for him.

Despite that, it’s his amazing defense which is his major advantage. While most rookies enter the NBA with offensive skill sets for the most part it’s their defense which trails behind. With the league leaning toward positionless players and 2-way players Luwawu’s ability to guard multiple positions makes him a rare commodity.

Weaknesses:

Needs to improve his off the dribble moves and not rely on his jump shot as much. In terms of his jump shot it’s better when he’s fed the ball so he’ll need to improve his pull up shot.

Luwawu himself points to his desire to commit fewer turnovers.

Honors and Awards:

As per Wikipedia:

Serbian Cup winner (2016)
All-ABA League Team (2016)

The Fit:

More from Space City Scoop

As mentioned his rank is all over the place, but in my opinion he’s closer to the lottery seeds than his original mid to low 20’s mark.

While the Rockets won’t likely trade to move up and get him he is the type of player who would fit the system and offer the defensive skill set Houston needs to shore up on.

Looking at players like Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins 2-way wings are growing in desirability, so there may be a precedent in place for Morey to consider trading to get this young talent.

Next: Draft Prospect Guerschon Yabusele

Next: Draft Prospect Chinanu Onuaku

Next: Draft Prospect Demetrius Jackson

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