Discuss the review | He was praised as a Warriors killer by old Zhan Kua This is the story of the best sixth man in the new section

From a dozen to five

2024-04-25 15:29Posted in Shandong Sports Creators

Discuss the review | He was praised as a Warriors killer by old Zhan Kua This is the story of the best sixth man in the new section

On April 25, 2024, Timberwolves bench Naz Reed was named Sixth Man of the Year over Kings guard Monk. The result sparked some controversy, but Reed's election was not too controversial.

It took Reid five years to go from being undrafted to being the best sixth man, and now his prowess has earned the league's recognition.

Geniuses of yesteryear

Dave Bove, former Rosell Catholic High School Coach One day, Bove heard a rumor: At Asbury Park Junior High School in New Jersey, there was a child who had not yet entered the 8th grade, who was 2.03 meters tall but played point guard.

People were excited about the rumors, but Bove decided that "it couldn't have existed" and decided to go to the scene to find out. The kid was Reed, and it only took him 5 minutes for Bove to realize that the rumors were true.

'He's tall, and at that age he can combine height, technique, and have that height but great mobility. I've seen enough good eighth-graders, but not too many of them can move like Reed," Bove said.

Bove recruited Reed to Russell Catholic High School, where Reed became a nationally renowned five-star high school student. In the state championship game of the senior season, Reed played a legendary battle, and they were still trailing by seven points two minutes before the end of the game, and Reed scored nine points in a row to lead the team to a comeback, including an empty dunk that helped them win.

"To this day, in New Jersey, people are still talking about this game, and they will probably never forget it. Bove said as a witness.

Lost in the draft

Considered the No. 1 forward in New Jersey and the No. 3 forward in the nation when he graduated from high school, Reed chose to go to the NBA Lottery Show in Louisiana. In the 2018-19 season, Reed averaged 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and was the team's second-leading scorer. Under the leadership of Reed and Waters (now CBA Guangdong men's basketball foreign players), Louisiana won the second-most wins in a single season in team history with 28 wins, and entered the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2006.

Supposedly, Reed should be able to guarantee a first-round pick after playing such a result, but unexpectedly, some rumors spread that Reed was not motivated to play and did not work hard enough, and he fell to the second round of the mock draft. The results of the 2019 NBA joint tryout brought a devastating blow to Reed's draft market, and his 2.22m arm span and ability to go inside and out did attract some teams, but the high body fat rate of 14% made everyone doubt his professionalism and self-discipline. What is the concept of a body fat percentage of 14%, which is the highest of all players who took the test in 3 years, and the range is extended to the top 10 in 10 years.

As a result, Pascal, who is close to Reed in style and weight but nearly 10 centimeters shorter than him, was drafted by the Warriors with the No. 41 pick, but Reed was not selected.

The two-way contract given by the Timberwolves was like a light shining in the darkness, illuminating Reed's way out. Reed averaged 11.9 points and 5.4 rebounds in 18 minutes per game in Summer League, and the Timberwolves immediately offered him a four-year, $6.1 million contract.

Rosas, then president of the Timberwolves, said of Reed: "He took his chances, he had the talent, he had the weapons to make a very special player, he was just a little bit of a test in the summer league, and as his physical condition improved, the sky was the limit." ”

Crazy upgrades

Reed worked hard in the Development League early in his rookie season, and the Timberwolves asked Reed to lower his body fat percentage, reshape his body, and improve his speed and explosiveness. At the same time, Reed polished his ball-handling, shooting, and finishing under the basket. When Towns was sidelined for an extended period of time due to injury, Reed was drafted and played in 30 games in his rookie season, including 11 starts, averaging just 16.5 minutes per game and contributing nine points and 4.1 rebounds.

Reed didn't dare to have a hint of ease and ease, his contract was only guaranteed for the first year, and he needed to put in as much effort as anyone else. In Reed's words, "I can still be lazy for a few rounds in high school and college, but now I have to give 100 percent."

In the summer of 2022, Gobert joined the Timberwolves, and Reed had a sense of crisis. Reed spent most of the offseason training at the team's home base, trying to be an all-rounder at the No. 4 or No. 5 position.

Since joining the Timberwolves, Reed has lost a total of 13.6 kilograms, improving his speed and explosiveness. The promoted Reid is difficult to define as an "interior player", he can open up space and belongs to the "modern interior line", but at the same time, he has the ability to break through with the ball like a defender, and can easily control the European step and other skills. "He's made himself an outstanding player. ”

In the 2022-23 season, Reed missed the playoffs due to a broken wrist, but his performance that season earned LeBron James recognition. On March 1, 2023, the Timberwolves defeated the Clippers, Reed came off the bench to score 12 points and 8 rebounds, and in the fourth quarter, he faced Plumlee's defense from outside the three-point line and broke through, dribbling under the crotch and then changing direction to complete a layup.

"Reed is amazing!" James wrote on social media. Interestingly, James misspelled "Naz" as "Naiz".

Three days later, Reed came off the bench against the Lakers and scored 15 points and eight rebounds to help the Timberwolves win. Now, James shouldn't be misspelled again.

In the 2023 offseason, Reed and the Timberwolves agreed on a three-year, $42 million contract. Many people don't understand the Timberwolves' practice of throwing more than $10 million in annual salary on a bench interior lineman, after all, the Timberwolves have taken a total of $77 million in super twin towers in one year. But the Timberwolves coaches all know that Reed fits the Timberwolves' basketball philosophy, and it's worth the money.

Reed's presence gives the Timberwolves an insurance inside, and when Towns is injured or out of the game, Reed can play directly at the No. 4 position to partner Gobert, and McDaniels believes Reed "has Towns' skill set." Reed has made more three-pointers per 36 minutes this season than Downs, shooting 41.4 percent from three-point range. And when Gobert and Towns aren't on the floor, Reed can also top the No. 5 spot. Statistically, Reed is more effective as a center forward than Downs when he plays center.

Reid has become a matchup problem for all teams these days, and Warriors coach Kerr's words are the most typical: "He can open up space in that position, and it will cause you a lot of problems." ”

Kerr called him the "Warrior Killer", and he was more than a Warrior Killer.

View original image 176K