Could Drew Timme become Draymond Green 2.0 in the NBA?
Drew Timme and Draymond Green may have more in common than you think.
In Friday’s “The Herd,” FOX Sports college basketball analyst Casey Jacobsen joined Colin Cowherd to discuss the parallels between Timme and Green, noting their similar skills on the court and ability to be catalysts. in big games.
“Drew Timme (and) Draymond Green – they’re two different players, but they play in the same position, and they’re good at dribbling transfer screens, rolling to the basket, catching the run and being able to handle the ball , “said Jacobsen. “We think of perimeter skills as just a 3-point shot – it’s a lot more than that. I think Drew Timme, on the right system – European-style basketball where you have your big guys handle and to pass the ball – could absolutely have a place in the NBA.”
Several NBA Mock Drafts resulted in Timme being selected midway through the second round, despite being a three-time All-American and a two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year.
While it’s hard to ignore Timme’s long list of individual accolades, it’s the overall impact he’s had on the Gonzaga program that is perhaps his greatest strength. Since joining Gonzaga in 2019, the program is 121-12, which includes four consecutive WCC regular season titles, four consecutive WCC tournament titles and three consecutive Sweet 16s (the tournament was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
(Elite greats in the Elite Eight: Drew Timme, Adama Sanogo gear up for battle)
Timme is Gonzaga’s all-time leading scorer and his 36 points in Thursday night’s thrilling 79-76 win over UCLA in the Sweet 16 made him the first player in NCAA Tournament history to rack up 10 games. over 20 points in the Big Dance.
The 6-foot-10 tall man is averaging 21.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game this season — all career highs.
“He’s a hell of a basketball player and one of the best return-to-the-basket and low-post players I’ve seen in college in the last 10 years — at least,” Jacobsen said of Timme. “But you know the evolution of the game. … Big players who play with their backs to the basket aren’t as valuable now as they were 10, 15, 20 years ago. Those are just the facts.
“You mentioned that Drew Timme doesn’t have perimeter skills, and I would agree with you if we define perimeter skills as a 3-point jump shot. … He has perimeter skills when it comes to handling and passing the ball, though.”
The same can be said for Green, who helped revolutionize the idea of playing “positionless basketball” in the NBA. Standing at 6-foot-6, Green will take the ball downfield for the Golden State Warriors at times, as well as play center position.
Like Timme, Green was an All-American during his college years, helping lead Michigan State to back-to-back Final Fours in 2009 and 2010.
Timme, 22, will look to match Green’s two Final Fours when he leads the third-seeded Zags against fourth-seeded UConn on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While the thought of playing in the NBA is certainly something that has crossed Timme’s mind, it will likely be a distant thought when the ball is knocked down, with a place in Houston on the line.
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