With the Minnesota Timberwolves in the midst of blowing a 23-point lead against the Memphis Grizzlies, Naz Reid found himself with the ball in his hands. He took a single dribble on the elbow before spinning around his defender, only to miss yet another layup.
Coming away with the rebound, Memphis pushed the tempo to the other end of the floor. A Kyle Anderson pass to Brandon Clarke down low looked like it would result in yet another made Grizzlies basket. But to make up for his missed three-footer, Reid barreled into Clarke. The whistle sounded.
Foul.
It had been the same story for Reid all series. After making a move towards the basket, the skilled 6’9″ big continuously failed to finish through contact. Following his misses, Reid would overcompensate for his lack of offense by fouling the opposing offense’s players. The results? The former LSU Tiger finished his debut playoff series averaging only 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.8 fouls in under 11 minutes.
For anyone who might have honed in on Reid’s playoff performances, it was evident that he was outmatched by Memphis’s sheer size and physicality. Bested by the likes of Steven Adams and Jaren Jackson Jr., Reid struggled on both ends of the floor. But rather than his inability to buy a bucket, Naz’s incompetence to defend without fouling saw the Grizzlies take a drastic series lead in free-throw attempts.
That’s why Chris Finch opted not to play him in the final playoff matchup, even after vocalizing Reid’s importance to Minnesota’s success after a Game 2 loss.
Reid watched Game 6 from the sidelines as his team relinquished yet another double-digit lead, officially eliminating them from playoff contention. Reid wasn’t the sole reason for his team’s lack of postseason success, but he certainly didn’t help either. So when Tim Connelly acquired three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, Big Jelly’s future in ‘Sota felt numbered.
Already seeing a career-low in minutes, points, rebounds, and assists last year, many have presumed that Reid won’t see much NBA action this upcoming season. But Karl-Anthony Towns will be the team’s starting PF next season. And with Finch likely staggering minutes between both KAT and Gobert at center, Naz remains one of the team’s best backup options at either position.
A mobile big who can help space the floor, Naz has provided the Timberwolves with a backup center who can play similarly to Towns. And like Towns, Reid has transformed his body to allow him to be more of a ‘tweener” when it comes to his position in the frontcourt.
Reid’s evolution in frame and game gives Chris Finch an ample amount of roster flexibility. Reid’s ability to play either position down low gives Minnesota some much-needed insurance in case of an i-n-j-u-r-y to either of the team’s prominent bigs. Gobert missed 16 games for the Utah Jazz last season. Sure, 16 games may not sound like all that important. But 16 games could be the deciding factor in who the Wolves match up against in the playoffs. KAT was sidelined by injuries’ for 32 contests during the 2020-21 season. Even if Naz sees a few DNPs here and there, he provides the team with one of the best injury replacements in the entire league.
According to ESPN’s John Hollinger, of centers who project to play at least 500 minutes next season, Naz Reid ranks:
- 36th in Value Added to Team
- 36th in Wins Added
- 38th in True Shooting %
- 41st in Player Efficiency Rating
These statistics won’t wow anyone, not even Wolves fans. But what they show is that Naz, although in a much smaller role, is comparable to players such as Al Horford and Kevon Looney — two bigs who faced off against one another in last season’s NBA Finals!
Like former Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach and defensive coordinator David Vanterpool used to say, “Solid is enough.” And although Vanterpool was referring to team defense rather than a single player’s output, all Reid has to be is solid. No, Naz wasn’t “enough” when it mattered most last spring. But with his first playoff series behind him, and the ability to practice with two of the best bigs the game has to offer, Reid can be the type of backup we all have grown accustomed to. The organization doesn’t need Naz to be anywhere near the top of Hollinger’s statistical charts. He just needs to be a competent backup when Towns or Gobert are off the floor.
