Drew Timme is one of many players expected to be a part of the 2023 NBA Draft. As most basketball fans will be aware, the Draft is a process through which the 30 teams in the NBA select players via two rounds as the newest addition to their teams. The most hyped-up draft prospects are considered lottery picks and are usually selected first by the teams with the worst record in the previous NBA season.
While Victor Wembanyama is highly likely to be selected first this year, he will not be the only athlete looking to enter the NBA. After all, the best players from various colleges and leagues across the world will also be participating in the drat. Timme has garnered quite a lot of attention in recent times. Let us find out why and analyze where he is projected to be selected in this year’s NBA Draft.
Drew Timme completed all 3 years in college at Gonzaga University
There are very few NBA players like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant who enter the NBA straight out of high school and skip college completely. Most other athletes spend a year in college or two at the most before declaring for the NBA. However, Timme decided to finish all 3 years in college before declaring to go pro.
Some might view this as a cause for concern. After all, Timme is already 22 years old and looks like a grown man when compared to his contemporaries. In fact, his former teammate Chet Holmgren, who is only 20 years old, has already been drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although Chet hasn’t played due to injuries.
Coming back to Drew, he is listed as 6’10 and weighs 235 lbs. He has played the power forward position for Gonzaga over the last three years and has been instrumental in the success that the team has seen. Throughout his college career, Timme has averaged 17.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.
What a run for Drew Timme at Gonzaga 👏
– Karl Malone Award (2021)
– Consensus 1st-team All-American (2023)
– 2× West Coast Conference Men’s Player of the Year (2022-23)
– 3× 1st-team All-WCC (2021–23)
– 2 Elite Eight appearances
– 1 National Champ appearance pic.twitter.com/S5ohuHUd47— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 26, 2023
While these numbers look somewhat impressive, Timme isn’t expected to be one of the top players in the 2023 Draft and is likely to be drafted in the second round. Two of his weakness that NBA scouts would fret over are his three-point shooting percentage (25%) and his free throw percentage (65.6%).
Since the NBA is transitioning into a league that heavily utilizes the three-point shot, he will appear as a liability, just like we have seen with Ben Simmons in recent times. In any case, he is likely to be a second-round pick this year and should seriously develop his game in order to be a threat in the professional leagues.