Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James praised rookie big man Drew Timme for his intelligence on the court after a pair of productive outings that helped the injury-hit roster stay afloat.
Timme, a three-time All-American and two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year at Gonzaga, went undrafted in 2023 but earned a two-way contract with the Lakers following a strong showing in the G League. With several Lakers sidelined, the 6-foot-9, 235-pound forward has recently stepped into the rotation.
On Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers, Timme delivered a career-best 21 points in 29 minutes. Two nights later, he supplied nine points and three rebounds off the bench in Los Angeles’ road victory over the Denver Nuggets.
James told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that Timme’s feel for the game translates to the NBA:
“He’s a smart basketball player. If you watched him in college, in his moments with Brooklyn, or in the G League, he knows how to play. His IQ correlates to this level. The coaches have believed in him these last three games, and he’s shown what he can do. He’s an NBA player—here first. That’s half the battle, and the game will speak for itself.”
Scouting concerns over Timme’s size and athleticism left his professional ceiling in doubt, but his positioning, footwork, and passing have given the Lakers productive minutes when needed.
Los Angeles is also expecting guard Austin Reaves to return from injury during the club’s current eight-game trip, adding another high-IQ contributor to head coach Darvin Ham’s rotation.
Source: Lakers Nation
