Drew Timme Seizes His Moment in Lakers’ Loss to Blazers - and Proves He Belongs
The Los Angeles Lakers came into Saturday night’s matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers severely shorthanded - and it showed in a 132-116 loss. But amid the chaos, one silver lining emerged: Drew Timme finally got his shot, and he made the most of it.
With key names like Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, and Adou Thiero sidelined, the Lakers needed someone - anyone - to step up. Enter Timme, the 6’9” forward who’s been torching the G League but had barely touched the floor in the NBA.
Before Saturday, Timme had logged just 17 total minutes across six games, all in garbage time. This, finally, was his real chance.
And he didn’t waste a second.
In his first 12 minutes on the floor, Timme dropped 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting. He looked like the same guy who’s been a walking bucket in the G League - confident, efficient, and unafraid of the moment.
But he wasn’t just a flash in the pan. By the end of the night, Timme had tallied 21 points, four assists, two rebounds, and two steals in 29 minutes.
The Lakers have had well-documented issues on defense, and Timme’s not exactly known for locking people down. He’s undersized for a big and doesn’t possess elite athleticism - that’s no secret. But what he does bring is scoring, and right now, that’s something the Lakers’ second unit desperately needs.
Coming into the game, LA ranked 29th in the league in bench scoring, averaging just 15.7 points per game. Timme outscored that mark by himself. That kind of production off the pine isn’t just helpful - it’s necessary, especially with Reaves out and the rotation in flux.
Timme’s journey to this point hasn’t been linear. He flashed some potential late last season with the Brooklyn Nets, averaging 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists across nine games.
That stint showed he could contribute when given the opportunity. But it was his G League dominance that earned him a two-way contract with the Lakers.
In 12 games with South Bay, he averaged 24.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists while shooting over 52 percent from the field. Simply put, he was too good to ignore.
The challenge now is figuring out how to keep him involved. Two-way contracts limit the number of NBA games a player can appear in, so the Lakers will have to be strategic.
But credit to head coach JJ Redick - he saw an opportunity in a depleted lineup and gave Timme real minutes. The result?
A guy who looked like he belonged.
Yes, there are defensive concerns. Yes, he committed four fouls.
But when a player consistently finds ways to score - whether it’s in the G League or against NBA competition - you have to take notice. Timme may not check every box on the scouting report, but he’s a professional scorer.
That’s a skill you can’t teach, and it’s one the Lakers could use more of.
He’s not a long-term solution to all of LA’s problems. The team still needs to retool around Dončić if they want to contend seriously.
Depth, defense, and consistency are still question marks. But Timme?
He’s earned a seat at the table. And if the Lakers are smart, they’ll find a way to keep him in the mix.
Because when the opportunity came knocking, Drew Timme didn’t just answer - he kicked the door down.