In the absence of the Timberwolves’ twin towers, Naz Reid has stepped up

Reid is thriving as a starter

Reid thrives offensively and defensively against other backup centers, but he does not falter against star-caliber big men either. He guarded Giannis Antetokounmpo for 20.4 possessions. Over those possessions, Antetokounmpo shot only 2-5 from the field. Considering what a skilled scorer Antetokounmpo is and what kind of presence he has in the paint, that is quite the feat for Minnesota’s reserve center.

In his second stint as the starting center against the Chicago Bulls, Reid showed no signs of slowing down, scoring the Timberwolves’ first 10 points before an injury took him out of the game early in the second quarter. Luckily, it was nothing serious, and Reid returned again the next night to face the Dallas Mavericks.

He started once again, as the team breathed a sigh of relief that they did not lose their third big man, and recorded a double-double with 27 points, 13 rebounds, 1 block, and 2 steals.

With those numbers, Reid led the Timberwolves to a 116-106 win together with Edwards and proved once again that he is ready to provide meaningful center minutes.

After three games without their twin towers, all signs point to the same conclusion; Naz Reid seamlessly transitioned into his new role and is ready to hold down the fort while his teammates recover. He is proving that he can carry the Timberwolves through this tough, injury-ridden stretch and is also staking a claim on minutes in the future, as he looks ready to take on a bigger role than that of a third-in-line reserve center.

No matter what the future holds for Reid once he becomes a free agent, though, the Timberwolves would be struggling right now if not for him.