Last night’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks was brutal, so let’s go back in time!
There was a noticeable buzz at Target Center as fans piled in for the Minnesota Timberwolves home opener against the Miami Heat on a brisk Saturday evening. They expected Jimmy “General Soreness” Butler to play his first game in Minneapolis since 2021, but the Heat decided to rest him because the team was on the tail end of a road back-to-back. The Wolves were coming off a gut-wrenching 97-94 road loss to the Toronto Raptors in their season opener. Regardless, fans were thrilled to return to the building for the 2023-24 regular season.
The first half of Saturday’s game was reminiscent of the season opener, as the Wolves put up 55 points through the first 24 minutes. The ball movement was shaky, and shots weren’t falling. Miami may have been down several key players, but the Erik Spoelstra-led defense is always a tough offensive assignment. Well, not for Naz Reid, who hung a game-high 25 points on Miami in Minnesota’s eventual 106-90 win.
“Amazing, especially at this level,” said Reid when a reporter asked him postgame about hearing his name chanted. “That is something you dream of. You never really imagine something that special. I appreciate every single person that was able to do that for me.”
Reid has been a fan favorite since the Wolves signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2019. After he made sacrifices and committed long-term to not only the Timberwolves but the state of Minnesota this summer, it’s evident that the fanbase’s love for him has reached new heights. When he was deep on the Wolves’ bench, saying Naz Reid ironically was a joke. However, his game is far from a joke, and we saw just how killer his game is Saturday night.
Reid went 10-of-14 from the floor and 4-of-7 from three against Miami. Therefore, it’s understandable that his offense jumps off the score sheet. However, during a postgame media scrum, Chris Finch seemed to be more impressed with everything else he was able to contribute.
He obviously did a lot of spectacular things in this game, but it’s really a testament to what a great summer can do for you. He’s got a lot of confidence. He takes his time when he gets a mismatch and not rushing it. He’s chasing shooters around the floor. These are all things that were kind of new that we needed him to do and continue to do for him to be successful in this role with the way our roster is.
We saw glimpses of it last year before he got hurt, but there were some other things. I thought his defense tonight, particularly chasing, guarding, being up, and being impactful, was awesome. His rebounding has taken another leap. Fun to watch him him play, for sure.
Minnesota’s starting five of Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert has been all but set in stone during the summer. The questions have come from the bench, more specifically, who will produce the offense. Tim Connelly and his staff brought in Shake Milton. But aside from acquiring him, the bench remained largely the same from last season.
According to NBA.com, Minnesota’s bench ranked 9th best during the 2022-23 campaign. However, the team often struggled to generate consistent offense without at least one starter on the court at all times. There has been and will be more staggering between the starters and bench mob this season. However, it’s obvious that Naz will be taking a lot of pressure off everyone in the rotation because he’s giving his team a sixth starter.
During a training camp media scrum, Reid spoke about the issues he faced early last season as he molded more into a prototypical power forward.
I’d say the difference in that was more so me not wanting to mess up. I would just kind of insert myself in one spot. You can’t take the blame for anything when you are in one spot. I just tried to do the right things at all times. Now, I’m just getting more comfortable and more familiar with my situation. Understanding the role I’m playing at the 4 or at the 5, both offensively and defensively. Just the comfort level and understanding that moving around and being all over the floor is something that we need.
Reid looked incredibly comfortable in the Timberwolves’ home opener over the weekend. The state of Minnesota has always been on his back, and that isn’t going to change any time soon. We can lay all the speculation regarding Big Jelly’s long-term role and fit with the Wolves to rest. It’s obvious the 24-year-old versatile big man can thrive playing alongside anyone. Sure, hiccups are sure to come. However, Reid is an incredibly unique player, and this season has the makeup to be a career year for him.
