Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick hasn't been particularly quick to give inexperiences players consistent minutes. To be fair, he hasn't had many good, young players to put in the game; Nick Smith Jr, Kobe Bufkin, and Bronny James have all gotten chances, but none have been particularly impressive in their runs.
Drew Timme is a little older at 25, but had played just 9 NBA games before this season. After some solid performances in the past three games (including a career-high 21 points against Portland last week), Redick might be forced to keep putting the former Gonzaga Bulldogs star on the floor. Timme appears to already have an important fan in the clubhouse. After last night's game, LeBron James praised Timme's game, saying:
"He's a smart basketball player. If you watched him any time through college, if you watch him in any of the moments he's gotten in the NBA, in Brooklyn... He knows how to play the game, and his IQ correlates to this level. So, you know, it's great to see that, the coaching staff believed in him over the last three games and he's shown that he's capable of doing stuff. He's an NBA player..."
That's basically what Lakers fans have been saying about Timme, too. He's quickly become a niche fan favorite who might turn into a trivia question in a few years, but might also turn into a semi-regular rotation player for this Lakers team which often needs competent center play.
Did the Los Angeles Lakers find a gem in Drew Timme?
And the Lakers certainly need some center depth. Some nights, Deandre Ayton looks like an All-Star, and other nights he's unplayable. Jaxson Hayes never looks like an All-Star, and many nights he's unplayable. Enter Timme?
The 7-footer is not going to blow anyone away with his athleticism. In fact, a complete lack of vertical athleticism is what most folks thought would keep Timme from ever playing meaningful NBA basketball. It still might be, for the record. Timme has been a nice story recently, but staying consistent is the hardest part of finding success in the league. Right now, he's getting mostly "prove it" buckets, which happen when the defense is completely uninterested in gameplanning against a guy.
Still, right now we're seeing why Timme was such a force in college — his footwork, touch, and skills in the lowpost are pretty impressive, and when the attention of the defense is elsewhere (as it always will be) Timme is certainly crafty enough to score on a defender in the post. If he can turn into a Robin Lopez-type player who's good for a few hook shots or post-up baskets per game, that's a huge front office win.
Already having the apparent approval of LeBron James is pretty helpful, too.