LAS VEGAS — Brooklyn Nets center Drew Timme showed last season with the Nets that he had a place in the league as a big man who could score in the post. However, thus far in the Las Vegas Summer League, Timme showed that he could take over a game for Brooklyn and he even received some praise from former NBA player Kendrick Perkins.

“Man, that’s super cool. Especially from a guy who’s played that long and been around the block. That’s super cool. That’s what I’m trying to get to,” Timme said after dropping 30 points, five rebounds, and three assists in a 102-96 loss to Tre Johnson and the Washington Wizards on Sunday. Perkins, like many others, saw how Timme played in the game and thought that he proved he could be an impact player for some NBA team next season.

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“That’s the dream and that’s the goal. That hasn’t quite been the narrative I’d say since I left college: that I can play in the league and deserve a spot or whatever,” Timme continued. “The kind of sudden narrative change, it’s good because you’ve seen what people said about you earlier. Now to see that narrative kind of flip, man, it’s pretty cool. I’m just grateful for it.”

Through three games played in the summer league, Timme is averaging 25.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 55.4% from the field and 21.4% from three-point land. Timme has already proven that he can play at the NBA level, but what he has done in Las Vegas could be showing others that he may be ready for a bigger role for a team that is looking for frontcourt depth.

As of this writing, Timme is under contract with the Nets for the 2025-26 season at $1.95 million after having his team option exercised by Brooklyn. However, the Nets still have Nic Claxton as the starting center and brought back backup center Day’Ron Sharpe in free-agency so there is at least two players in the way of Timme as he seeks more playing time. The good thing is, he’s proven that he belongs and that could be useful next season.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets’ Drew Timme reacts to Kendrick Perkins’ endorsement of his play