Injuries forced the LA Lakers to look deeper into their roster, and Drew Timme answered the call. Signed to a two-way contract, the undrafted forward needed just one night to make his case. Against the Trail Blazers, he poured in 21 points, turning heads regardless of the final score. That performance was enough to earn Timme a spot in the rotation for tonight’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors.

It doesn’t have to be said, but it’s been a difficult road for Drew Timme to get some recognition. With the Lakers, he feels like there’s a chance. And although he’s heard doubts ever since getting out of college, what the 25-year-old has is incredible belief in his ability to impact the game.

“At the end of the day, I’m a good player. I believe in myself and my abilities, and I believe that I can impact the game at any level, anywhere. To be able to have this opportunity and to be able to help the team, it’s great,” he said about playing for the Lakers.

Carving out a regular spot in the rotations is going to be challenging. Timme is battling against the likes of Rui Hachimura and Jared Vanderbilt. When LeBron James was asked about whether Timme can build off his 21-point night against Portland, he said, “If we continue to play him.” Well, Timme did play tonight.

Against the Raptors, he scored 3 points, hitting one of his four shots. It wasn’t the best performance after a career-high night. But the fact that Redick played him for 16 minutes suggests there is a plan in place. The Lakers’ head coach is drawing up something that involves the former Gonzaga star.

JJ Redick offers some hope to Drew Timme

Timme hasn’t played extensive minutes for the Lakers yet. But he’s a talented scorer. In the G-League, he’s averaging nearly 25 points per game. Moreover, while playing for the Nets, he provided them with a steady contribution of 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds in 28 minutes per game. Guess how many players on the Lakers bench average more points? Zero.

When used well, Timme has the skills to elevate the Lakers’ bench, which currently averages the fewest points in the NBA. JJ Redick also revealed the “jarring” lineup his coaching staff planned when they got the 25-year-old.

“We had talked about this, so I knew it was coming. But still like a little jarring to see, you know, the Vando, Drew, DA, LeBron. You know that’s a big lineup. And they did a good job playing out of the post. During that stretch, we were also able to get some stops,” Redick said about the experiment with a big lineup.

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Add Luka Doncic into that equation, and the Lakers have a lineup where the smallest player is 6’8”. For a team that has struggled to defend, it offers an anecdote in difficult stretches. Timme was +17 in just 16 minutes in tonight’s victory. In terms of spacing, he’s hit half of his eight attempts from beyond the arc so far.

With size and the versatility he offers as an offensive pivot, Drew Timme could end up being a key player in the second half of the regular season.