Drew Timme Shines: The Brooklyn Nets' Latest Gem

Before March 28, the Brooklyn Nets had already uncovered their fair share of underrated, hidden gems. Keon Johnson, Trendon Watford and Ziaire Williams had all evolved into consistently solid contributors. Jalen Wilson—a 2023 second-round pick out of Kansas—had developed into a reliable scorer off the bench. While it didn't reflect in Brooklyn's record, the 2024-25 campaign introduced several faces who could grow into an exciting young supporting cast.

And then Drew Timme arrived.

Timme, a star at Gonzaga from 2019-2023, had spent the entirety of his NBA career in the G League after not being selected in the same draft as Wilson. Eventually, he found his way onto the Long Island Nets, but was quickly signed to a two-year deal after erupting for 50 points on March 22.

Two games into the Timme experience, Nets fans are elated with his production. In his debut—a blowout loss to the LA Clippers—Timme notched a double-double in just 25 minutes of action, appearing to be a seamless fit in Jordi Fernandez's high-effort, uptempo system.

He built off his inaugural success last night in a skid-snapping win over the Washington Wizards, tallying 19 points and six rebounds—including the eventual-game-winning basket. Due to his instant success, as well as injuries to Day'Ron Sharpe and Noah Clowney, an increased role could be in Timme's future.

Brooklyn holds the sixth-best odds at winning this summer's draft lottery, trailing the Philadelphia 76ers by just half a game. Winning likely won't be at the top of the Nets' priority list in an attempt to not jeopardize that fact, allowing Fernandez to continue evaluating Timme throughout their remaining seven games.

Timme will be put to the test tomorrow when Brooklyn gets a rematch with the Dallas Mavericks—a squad that handedly won their last meeting with the Nets. Should Timme get the start, a one-on-one matchup between he and Anthony Davis could be on the horizon (assuming Davis is healthy).

The 24-year-old has been undeniably impressive in his first two appearances, potentially adding himself to Brooklyn's list of underrated, hidden gems heading into the second year of the franchise's complete rebuild.