Brooklyn Nets: Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot just became one of team’s most important pieces

Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot could decide the outcome of some Nets games off of the bench.

In what already promised to be an unusual NBA season, the Brooklyn Nets completely set the NBA landscape on fire by trading away Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen in order to pair James Harden with the likes of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

In an even more unusual twist, some of Brooklyn’s games might end up being decided by a 25-year-old Frenchman off the bench in Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot.

Luwawu-Cabarrot did little to help the Nets take down the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, as he failed to score in the 11 minutes he was on the floor. For someone who clearly has earned a valuable place in the rotation, those kind of performances need to stop.

Steve Nash clearly trusts Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, but he needs to start playing better

Despite the fact that the Harden trade left the Nets without a ton of options on the bench, Luwawu-Cabarrot, a former first-round pick who started to impress in the latter half of the season, appears to have leapfrogged Landry Shamet in the rotation. On a team that plays minimal defense, TLC and Bruce Brown stand alone as the two best perimeter defenders on what’s left of Brooklyn’s bench. With Brown’s offensive game somewhat limited, it’s even more important for Luwawu-Cabarrot to step up and hit shots.

While his 7.6 points per game average is the highest of his career, Luwawu-Cabarrot, who bounced around the league before clawing onto Brooklyn’s roster, is shooting just 39% from the field and 34% from three. Those numbers are acceptable from an end of the bench wing, but not from a key reserve on one of the best offenses in the league.

If Luwawu-Cabarrot didn’t have his worst game of the season on Wednesday against Cleveland, it’s very likely that the Nets win that game. TLC needs to shake off the rust, as his importance to this Brooklyn team will only increase with time.

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With three roster spots open and enough money to sign some pieces via Dinwiddie’s injury exception, look for free agents like these to end up as Nets.