Naz Reid’s basketball story is something special, almost as if it’s taken directly out of a masterful script. It wasn’t easy for him to become the beloved Minnesota Timberwolves player he is today, though. Despite being a 5-star high school recruit and a crucial part of an incredibly talented LSU team, he had a long climb to where he is today. Reid’s ability to adapt his game to gel with those around him has only made things more impressive and increased his longevity in the league exponentially. Reid has always had an incredibly exciting archetype, using his unique ability and skillset combined with his size to his advantage. Now he has a lucrative second NBA contract and continuity with those around him.
It is not easy for young players who were not highly-touted draft prospects to make a lasting impact, no matter their circumstances or role on the team. Naz’s stock slowly plummeted after an average season at LSU. However, he found the niche by matching up his game perfectly with Minnesota’s direction, adapting along the way. It was not easy, nor did it seem that it would be a continued theme early in his career, Last year, it wasn’t certain he would return to the Wolves this off-season. Things have been hectic during Naz’s time in Minnesota, but as he has grown, so have those around him.
On top of this chaos, each year threw a new challenge his way.
In his rookie season, an underdeveloped Naz averaged 18.4 points and 9.9 rebounds on 50.5/38.6/61.4 shooting splits in 16 G-League games. However, things would soon change. The team underwent about as much roster movement as possible, trading away eight of their players at the deadline. Many of these were important rotational pieces at the time: Andrew Wiggins, Robert Covington, Gorgui Dieng, Jeff Teague, Keita Bates-Diop, and Shabazz Napier.
As a result of this turnover, Reid got increased opportunity and playing time because the roster was essentially a collage of players from around the league. Post-deadline, Naz earned 11 starts in the final 15 games and put up intriguing numbers. He had 11.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and stretched the floor, shooting 35.4% from three on 3.2 attempts a game.
He was already starting to turn a corner.
In his sophomore season, Naz secured the backup center position and built a similar résumé to the end of his rookie season. He averaged impressive numbers: 11.2 points and 4.6 rebounds on 53.3/35.1/69.3 shooting splits in 19.2 minutes per game. Naz continued to work himself into an NBA body, slimming down and only becoming more skilled on the ball due to his increased agility. It was becoming more clear that he was ironing out a consistent role in the league even though the Wolves went 23-49 that year.
However, things took a turn in Year 3. The Wolves organically put together a competitive team, and Naz made an impact. His minutes per game dropped to 15.8, but he had a dynamic ability to space the floor and used his handle to break down defenders. Most importantly, he was valuable to a competitive team. That can be a difficult hurdle for younger playrs, especially in Naz’s situation. The Wolves were a poor team with no true direction or playoff aspirations when they signed him, and Reid earned his role as the team progressed.
Things went similarly the next season, but he had to make an even larger adjustment after the Wolves traded for Rudy Gobert. The trade created a logjam of three capable NBA centers on one roster having to coexist within one rotation. It was probably the largest challenge of Reid’s career. The second he was settled in with the team and role, he had to adapt again. He needed to find out how he could positively impact the game with more 2-big lineups, something that he had limited success with him and KAT earlier.
Things were tricky for the Wolves conceptually to begin the year. They had to find lineup combinations and if Naz could play power forward next to either KAT or Gobert. Per Basketball Reference, last year was the most minutes Naz has had playing the 4 in his career. Basketball Reference estimated that he saw 21% of his time on the floor there in the 2022-23 season. He still was able to get time at his natural center position when KAT and Rudy missed time due to injury. Overall the mix between opening up to new roles but still keeping the same one will only help in the long run.
Naz is a tremendously fun basketball player and brings plenty of impact through his play. However, we should highlight his ability to settle into this Timberwolves team. He’s adapted from a scuffling young player trying to find his spot in the league to become one of the most important players on a talented team. Many players in this same situation around the league are phased out of the rotation. In other situations, once a team gets more serious about contending, they end up on other lottery teams. It is truly admirable that he went from a highly-touted prospect that had to rebuild his status to a $42 million player.
