He went from player arriving in the NBA without a contract to best sixth man. Naz Reid won this individual trophy for the 2023-2024 season, as revealed live by Shaquille O’Neal on the night from Wednesday to Thursday, thus consecrating the very good season from within with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
An interior capable of shooting from long range, Reid averages 13.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.9 blocks in 24 minutes of play on average, thus contributing to Rudy Gobert’s very good season and his teammates, 3rd in the Western Conference of which they have long been leaders, and in control of the first round of the play-offs (2-0 against Phoenix).
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Reid is the third undrafted player to receive the title of best sixth man, awarded for the first time in 1983, after John Starks (1997) and Darrell Armstrong (1999).
Reid, 24, joined the NBA in 2019 after training with the LSU (Louisiana) Tigers. But unlike the best of each generation, he was never drafted. The Wolves nevertheless placed their trust in him as soon as he left university, first between G-League and NBA (9 points in 16.5 minutes in 30 matches), then full-time within their squad from 2020. Still valuable , the interior reached his career best averages this season, taking advantage of the absence of Karl-Anthony Towns to start 14 matches in March in particular.
Short winner ahead of Malik Monk
Interviewed by ESPN, Naz Reid described his role as sixth man: “I have to have an idea and a direction of how the game is going (before coming into play). I laugh about it with my teammates, but it’s the idea of wanting to continue the momentum, to get back into the match or, on the contrary, to continue moving forward. »
Reid (352 points, 45 times named in first place by voters) was narrowly chosen ahead of Kings player Malik Monk (342, 43 times 1st). He is the first Minnesota player to receive this honor.
2024-04-25 06:20:34
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