Jan. 21—Drew Timme is settling in with the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and starting to garner praise from some of his higher-profile teammates.
Playing extended minutes for the first time since he joined the Lakers on a two-way contract in late November, the former Gonzaga standout turned heads with a 21-point, four-assist effort on Saturday in a 132-116 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Timme played 16 more minutes the next night against the Toronto Raptors, scoring just three points but adding three assists and two rebounds in a 110-93 win.
In Tuesday's game against the Denver Nuggets, Timme scored nine points in 11 minutes to go along with three assists in a 115-107 victory. After Los Angeles erased a 16-point deficit in the third quarter, Timme's cutting layup on a pass from LeBron James tied the game at 88-88 with 11 minutes, 23 seconds remaining in the fourth.
Gonzaga's career scoring leader registered just 18 minutes in his first six appearances with the Lakers, but he's logged no fewer than 11 in three games this week.
Timme's uptick in playing time has been a welcome development for many in the organization, including the Lakers' 21-time NBA All-Star forward, who has now praised the former Zag on multiple occasions since Saturday's game in Portland.
"He's a smart basketball player," James told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "If you watched him any time through college, if you watched him any of the moments he's gotten in the NBA whether he was in Brooklyn or you watched him — obviously my son plays in the G League bouncing back and forth. If you've seen (Timme), he's a smart basketball player, he knows how to play the game.
"His IQ correlates to this level, so it's great to see the coaches have believed in him the last three games and he's shown what he's capable of doing."
On the possession before his game-tying layup, Timme made a key play off the ball, sealing Denver's Jamal Murray and Bruce Brown to create a lane for James to the basket. James converted a lay-in to cut the deficit to two points.
"He's an NBA player here, here first," James said, pointing to his head. "That's a lot of time half the battle and then his game will speak for itself."
After Timme's career-high 21-point game against the Trail Blazers, the 41-year-old James hinted that he'd like to see the former Zag continue to get minutes for the Lakers.
Asked if Timme's offensive contributions could help Los Angeles in the long run as the Lakers look to clinch a playoff berth, James responded, "if we continue to play him."
The 25-year-old Timme has already had four stops in three pro seasons, signing a two-way deal with the Milwaukee Bucks after going undrafted in 2023. After a season-ending injury with the G League Wisconsin Herd, Timme signed with the Sacramento Kings' G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings. In the middle of the season, Timme was sent to the G League Long Island Nets, playing a handful of games before he was elevated to the Brooklyn Nets' roster for the final stretch of the 2024-25 season.
Timme averaged 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds in nine games to close the year, but Brooklyn waived the forward during preseason training camp in October. Timme inked a two-way deal with the Lakers, reuniting him with former college teammate/roommate Anton Watson, and is averaging 24.3 ppg in eight appearances with the G League South Bay Lakers.
