The 28-year-old has taken his game to another level under new head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco.
Who’s hot: Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne
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LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne has started to get its Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season back on the right track following the appointment of Gianmarco Pozzecco as head coach, with the team going 2-2 under the Italian tactician. Yet, one player who deserves plenty of credit for ASVEL’s recent turnaround in fortunes is forward Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.
The 28-year-old, who made his EuroLeague debut with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan last season, has taken his game to another level on his return to his native France. After posting 9.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists with Milan, Luwawu-Cabarrot is averaging 13.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals through his first six games with ASVEL.
Luwawu-Cabarrot has lit it up offensively
Particularly in the last three rounds, Luwawu-Cabarrot has scored the most points in the entire EuroLeague with 56, giving him an average of 18.8 points per contest since coming back from an injury that forced him to miss Rounds 4 and 5. What’s more, Luwawu-Cabarrot’s return has coincided with ASVEL grabbing its first two wins of the season, with the Cannes-born player playing an integral role in those victories.
It is worth remembering that ASVEL’s newest star had a combined total of 23 points from the first three games of the season, including a 0-point outing against Anadolu Efes Istanbul, so his return to form has complimented the appointment of Coach Pozzecco perfectly.
Despite doubling the amount of shots that he is getting up, Luwawu-Cabarrot has found a way to improve his shooting percentages. Through the first three games, he made 6 shots from the field from a total of 21 attempts (28.6%). Since Round 6, however, he has hit 19 field goals from 34 shots (55.9%).
His other numbers are just as impressive
In fact, his numbers across the board have increased, with Luwawu-Cabarrot contributing more in terms of rebounding (3 rpg. vs. 4.7 rpg.), assists (0.3 apg. vs. 3.3 apg.) and steals (1.0 spg. vs. 2.0 spg.). His total PIR between Rounds 6 and 8 has more than quadrupled when compared to the first three games of the season, too.
All of this has taken place despite Luwawu-Cabarrot often guarding the top scorers on other teams, with the Frenchman going up against the likes of Zalgiris Kaunas guard Keenan Evans and AS Monaco star Mike James in late-game situations. This article is focused on Luwawu-Cabarrot’s improvement on the offensive end, but he has certainly proved himself to be an elite two-way player in this recent stretch.