How will the Minnesota Timberwolves fare without Naz Reid?
Naz Reid was in the midst of a career year for the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he, unfortunately, broke his wrist after an awkward fall trying to dunk on a Phoenix Suns player. Losing the former undrafted standout hurts, and the Wolves will need everyone to step up.
Reid was averaging 11.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists. He was also shooting 53.7 percent from the field and 34.6 from 3. Over the last handful of games, he was providing Sixth Man of the Year-type performances for the Timberwolves.
The bench has struggled to score, but Minnesota will need someone to step up. The obvious answer is Jaylen Nowell. He’s the one player who’s most capable of scoring 20 points, but he too is battling an injury. He’s been up and down this year, but he’s found a groove as of late with Jordan McLaughlin back in the lineup.
The good news: Karl-Anthony Towns is back. Essentially, the Timberwolves just swapped players. Minnesota rolled without one of their most productive centers all season and will now do the same but with a different player.
Luckily, the Timberwolves have depth and size with Taurean Prince and Kyle Anderson. I think it also makes a lot of sense to convert Luka Garza’s two-way deal into a fully guaranteed contract. As of right now, Garza is ineligible to play in the playoffs but would be available if they gave him the new contract.
Garza and Nathan Knight can be solid backups if need be, and Minnesota only needs them in case of emergencies.
Minnesota needs to play a combination of KAT and Gobert for the entirety of the 48 minutes. Here’s a good look at what the Timberwolves could run off the bench:
- PG: McLaughlin
- SG: Nowell
- SF: Prince or Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- PF: Anderson
- C: One of KAT or Gobert
That doesn’t look all that bad, but it would be better if Reid was available. The Wolves could mix and match and have Anthony Edwards or Jaden McDaniels in as well.
If the Timberwolves make the playoffs, they will have to tighten up their rotation anyways. Losing Reid hurts because he was their offensive firepower off the bench, but Minnesota will need to navigate these choppy waters again.
