Brooklyn Nets forward Drew Timme shoots during an NBA Summer League game against the Washington Wizards on Sunday in Las Vegas. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
LAS VEGAS – Welcome to Drew Timme’s third year at NBA Summer League, featuring viral poster dunks, between-the-legs passes and public endorsements from the league’s most recognizable figures.
Oh, and ‘MVP’ chants near the end of a 30-point effort at the Thomas & Mack Center, where Timme was the best player on the floor but couldn’t will the Brooklyn Nets to the finish line in a 102-96 loss to the Washington Wizards.
Timme’s play during a nationally televised game earned the former Gonzaga standout a midgame ESPN interview and social media recognition from one of the network’s most popular analysts, former NBA center Kendrick Perkins.
“Drew Timme should be on some body roster getting quality minutes!!!!” Perkins tweeted in the second half. “And I mean in the rotation heavy.”
It signifies a major shift in the national conversation around Timme, who didn’t hear his name called in the 2023 draft and wasn’t widely considered an NBA-caliber player by analysts who cover the sport.
The social media-averse Timme was notified of Perkins’ tweet in postgame interviews on Sunday.
“Man, that’s super cool, especially from a guy that’s played that long and been around the block,” Timme said. “That’s super cool and that’s what I’m trying to get to. That’s the dream and that’s the goal. That hasn’t quite been the narrative I’d say since I left college, that I can play in the league and deserve a spot or whatever.
“To kind of see that narrative change, it’s good because you’ve seen what people say about you earlier.”
There weren’t many doubting Timme’s abilities by the end of the 2024-25 NBA season, when he made nine appearances for Brooklyn, averaging 13.0 points and 6.3 rebounds while posting three double-doubles.
Anyone still not convinced may have changed their mind after watching Timme’s first two games this week in Vegas. The third-year pro scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds in Brooklyn’s opener, making 10 of 13 shots from the field.
He stuffed three or four highlight plays into the second game, including a second-quarter dunk that began with a nifty between-the-legs pass from Timme to Tyson Etienne, who skipped the ball right back to the forward.
Timme drove into the lane before splicing through the Wizards’ Tre Johnson III and Alex Sarr, rising for a two-handed dunk over the 7-foot Sarr before falling to the ground. Washington’s former No. 2 overall pick was whistled for the foul and Timme completed a three-point play from the free -throw line.
“I’m not going to lie, I did not know if I made it,” Timme said. “It’s not really what I’m known for, but I get up every now and then. I was looking around like ‘did I make that?’ – it was a fun surprise I guess.”
Timme, who signed a multiyear contract with Brooklyn in March, finished 13 of 24 from the field and 2 of 7 from the 3-point line.
He had a steal-and-slam sequence near the end of the third quarter and began receiving ‘MVP’ chants while on the verge of a 30-point game late in the final frame.
“It was fun, definitely reminded me of college I guess,” Timme said. “It’s always fun when the fans are into it and it’s a close game. There’s nothing better than that. So it was fun, hopefully next time we get the win though. But it was great.”
Timme’s now up to 52 total points and averaging 26 per game through Brooklyn’s first two contests in Las Vegas. That ranks second at Summer League and first among players who’ve been through multiple games.
The former Zag said college coach Mark Few, who attended multiple Summer League games on Sunday, encouraged him to stay solid on the defensive end in a pregame text message.
Timme and ex-Gonzaga teammate Corey Kispert embraced and briefly caught up before Sunday’s game. Kispert was among the Washington players who acquired courtside seats to support the Wizards’ Summer League squad.
### Other locals
• Former Gonzaga guard Khalif Battle made his first start at Summer League and scored seven points for the Phoenix Suns during a 98-80 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Battle made 1 of 3 shots from the field, went 5 of 6 from the free throw line and had two rebounds.
• Anton Watson and Ben Gregg, college teammates at GU for three seasons, went head-to-head in the Boston Celtics’ 94-81 win over the New York Knicks. Watson scored three points, making a 3-pointer in the third quarter, and had three rebounds for New York while Gregg recorded one offensive rebound in two minutes off the bench.
• Former Mt. Spokane High standout Tyson Degenhart didn’t play in his second straight game for the Toronto Raptors.