Draft Prospect Highlights: Drew Timme
Overview
Drew Timme was a top-50 prospect in his high school class, playing for J.J. Pearce High School in Texas. He was named second-team All-State behind 27.7 points, 17.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists as a senior. After considering collegiate offers from Texas A&M, Texas, Michigan State, Illinois, Arizona and Alabama, Timme opted for Gonzaga. As a freshman, he played mostly off the bench but gained a full-time starter role as a sophomore. That season, he led Gonzaga to the title game and earned first-team All-WCC and second-team All-America honors in addition to winning the Karl Malone Award. Again as a junior, Timme was named second-team All-America, but he also added a WCC Player of the Year award to his shelf. He broke onto first-team All-America as a senior while averaging 21.2 points on 61.6 percent shooting, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 blocks in 31.6 minutes. He shared co-WCC Player of the Year honors with Brandin Podziemski of Santa Clara. As a senior, Timme also set the all-time Gonzaga men’s basketball scoring record with 2,307.
Analysis
Offensively, Timme is a traditional big with a deep post-up arsenal that starts with a soft right-hand jump hook and continues with every counter in the book. His touch and smooth footwork help him gain an advantage over bigger centers. He’s also effective in the pick-and-roll, capable of making a couple of dribbles and/or dishing to teammates. Timme’s rebounding is also up to par, always looking for a man to box out. Defensively, the center usually tries to beat the driver to the spot rather than challenge at the rim, and he’s best staying in the paint.
Projection
Timme’s archetype as a post-up big is becoming less and less common, but we’ve seen a recent success story in Domantas Sabonis. To provide the most value possible, Timme’s game likely needs to evolve, though his flashes as a passer are encouraging for some high-post actions, and his paint-floater is solid. Defense may always be an issue, but the same could be said for Sabonis. Timme may need time in the G League to develop his game into a more modern, versatile style. He has the potential to make a career as a bench big.
— Profile by RotoWire