Clippers NBA Draft: Could Timothe Luwawu fall to L.A.?

Timothe Luwawu could very well be a lottery pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, but if he drops (as some predict) and the Los Angeles Clippers trade up, could they be lucky enough to land him?

Generally speaking in the build up to the 2016 NBA Draft, many have projected Timothe Luwawu to be a lottery pick, if not very close to it. The 6’7″ French wing brings a lot of promise with his high-flying athleticism, 6’11” wingspan, energy, and smooth shooting stroke, combining the kind of physical attributes and skill that NBA teams long to find in young two-way wing prospects. For the Los Angeles Clippers, even as a team in need of some immediate help, the 21-year-old Luwawu has potential to begin with a small role and work his way up in minutes as he develops.

If Paul Pierce retires, the salary-cap-strapped Clippers will have even more playing time available in their wing rotation.

When considering realistic targets for their wing situation, though, players such as Caris LeVert, Taurean Prince and DeAndre Bembry are most noteworthy. All offer their own skill sets, length, athleticism and two-way ability, while being widely projected to fall in the Clippers’ range with the 25th pick (Prince is estimated by some to go just inside the top 20).

However, is there any way the Clippers may have a chance to take a swing with a more intriguing and slightly lesser known prospect?

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Luwawu, for some of the hype he’s received at times, isn’t necessarily a dead-set lottery pick. And with such potential due to his combination of skill and physicality, it’s safe to say his ceiling could easily be higher than some of the wings mentioned above who are more guaranteed to be within the Clippers’ range.

So, could Doc set his sights on such a player with at least the slightest dose of realism?

Here’s a quick overview of where some recent mock drafts have Luwawu landing:

DraftExpress: 15th

NBA Draft Net: 26th

Bleacher Report: 24th

Sporting News: 25th (hey, it’s the Clippers’ pick!)

The last three suggest a possible drop and several other mocks still have him falling just inside the end of the lottery, but the consensus isn’t unanimous that he should be going that high. Although, seeing as talented wings are more sought after than ever in the NBA, there’s still a strong chance Luwawu goes early.

To consider him coming to L.A. for the Clippers is hopeful for fans, and there’s no way to deny that.

must read: Should Paul Pierce retire?

However, the reason why the question of Luwawu hypothetically falling to the Clippers is worth asking is due to reports that they’re planning to trade up in the draft.

According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, they’re looking to trade up and acquire “their guy” outside their current range at 25. With such a report in mind and if this actually materializes, the Clippers scraping into the top 20 could be a possibility, inching them closer to a chance of taking Luwawu if he does fall out of the lottery. He certainly seems like the type of talented, high-upside prospect that would be worth trading up for.

Well, let’s say the Clippers actually move up a fair amount and get lucky. Luwawu, should he be available, is capable of providing energetic minutes at both ends of the floor right away and has the potential to grow into a key player down the line.

Immediately, he has the ability to take the ball to the rim with authority, possessing the explosion and aggressive style to make it happen. And while he only maintained a 39.8 field goal percentage last season, he shot 37.2 from three-point range with 2.1 makes per game. Strong drives and his stroke from outside allowed him to averaged 14.6 points per game for Meka Leks in the Adriatic league (numbers via DraftExpress), while his threat in transition will also excite the Clippers and any other NBA teams that look at him.

And with those physical strengths and intensity, Luwawu has proven his defensive ability and potential to grow into a player who can guard multiple positions at the perimeter. 1.7 steals per game last season is also a nice indication of how he can create fast break points.

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Luwawu obviously isn’t without weakness, though. His handle needs work and creating jump shots off the dribble or intricate drives down the lane are still relatively underdeveloped areas of his game that hold him back from being one of the better scorers in this draft class.

Plus, as we know less about him than college players, even less so than a prospect like Dragan Bender, there’s always a chance that teams feel hesitant on draft night and Luwawu drops a few places.

Regardless of all he has to offer, though, Timothe Luwawu may be irrelevant for the Clippers. Such upside alone could be enough to keep him in the lottery, after all, becoming another rookie feature in an NBA era dominated by versatility and perimeter play. The chances of him falling to 20, let alone 25, remain low.

Next: Final Mock Draft: New lottery picks and Clippers' top target

Still, Luwawu is at least fun for Clipper Nation to think about. If the Clippers somehow trade up high enough and his value drops as the draft approaches, Doc Rivers — who seems more intrigued by the importance of the draft this year — could like Luwawu enough to take a shot with him.

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