Drew Timme NBA draft 2023: While the Gonzaga forward finds his fortune with the Milwaukee Bucks how does fate looks for other notable athletes
The 2023 NBA draft came and went Thursday night, but one of college basketball's biggest names – Gonzaga's Drew Timme – was not heard. With the difference between the college basketball game and the NBA is looked at, Timme is going to have to evolve his game to find success in the pros.
Despite not being drafted, Timme signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. So, he is under a one-year contract for the minimum salary, and the contract can be converted to a two-way deal if the team makes the change before the start of the season.
But what does this mean for other major names that play below the rim in college basketball and do not expand their range?
Does Drew Timme being undrafted cause unrest for major college basketball stars?
There were three major names from college basketball that were not called during the draft were Drew Timme, Oscar Tshiebwe and Adama Sanogo. All three play below the rim and dominate at the collegiate level but have not developed a game outside of that.
That might be incredible when looking at what they have been able to do for Gonzaga, Kentucky and UConn respectively, but the NBA views talent differently. Drew Timme was a first-team All-American, Oscar Tshiebwe was the 2022 National Player of the Year and Adama Sanogo was the 2023 Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
It’s crazy how little college production means nowadays in the NBA draft.
Undrafted:
• Drew Timme - 21.2 points, 7.5 rebounds
• Oscar Tshiebwe - National Player of the Year
• Mike Miles - 17.9 points, top player in Big 12
Some players drafted instead:
• Chris… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/sGOqtkkepO
Their dominance in college basketball is unquestioned, but the issues arise when trying to get to the next level. The NBA plays a more spaced-out game that focuses on being able to expand the defense to the 3-point line. We see this as defenses lock in on players who cannot shoot as they can clog the paint.
The biggest issue is that these college players who are dominating down low do not develop the skills necessary to be viewed as top NBA prospects anymore. The NBA has gone away from traditional centers who clog the paint like DeAndre Jordan, Andre Drummond and Dikembe Mutombo. Instead, centers like Brook Lopez, who developed a 3-point game, are becoming the norm.
What does this mean for players similar to Drew Timme? While being able to dominate in college, if they want to make a career in the NBA and not be viewed as limited players with low ceilings, they need to be able to expand their game to the point of being worthy to play in this era's NBA.