For most of the season, Naz Reid was carrying the Minnesota Timberwolves’ bench and looked well-positioned to win his second Sixth Man of the Year award. Before the All-Star break, Naz was averaging 14.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, on 46.9/38.5/73.8 shooting splits.
However, since the All-Star break, Reid has been in a slump, averaging 11.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 42.7/25.8/71 shooting splits. Some Timberwolves fans might be panicking about Reid’s play as we approach the playoffs.
I understand this perspective, and there’s no denying that the Wolves would benefit from a more consistent Reid. At the same time, I also think the reasoning behind Reid’s struggles is obvious — his nagging shoulder injury is bothering him. Amid fans’ concerns about Naz, I think his shoulder injury can get lost in the shuffle.
Reid left a mid-January game against the San Antonio Spurs with a shoulder injury. In the first game after the All-Star break, he re-injured his shoulder, which kept him out of the following game. He later suffered an ankle injury against the Phoenix Suns, which kept him out of two games. Undoubtedly, these injuries (especially his shoulder injury, given that he’s in a shooting slump) have impacted Reid’s recent play.
Naz Reid’s shoulder injury is connected to his slump
During Saturday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, the Wolves were without Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Ayo Dosunmu. Reid struggled mightily, shooting 3-of-15 from the field and scoring just eight points. This game ramped up the dialogue around Reid’s overall slump.
Regardless, this game, more than others, showed me that Naz’s shoulder isn’t right. Naz was 0-of-7 from 3-point range, and most of his misses were on open shots. Perhaps more concerningly, his jump shot clearly has a hitch in it, which reflects that his shoulder is bothering him.
The silver lining of Reid’s struggles is that he’s been finding other ways to impact the game. I’ll admit Saturday’s game isn’t the best example of this. Nevertheless, he’s typically been active on the boards and has played some really solid defense despite his shooting slump.
Now, having said all of that, the Timberwolves will absolutely need a more productive version of Reid to reach their ceiling. Similarly, even though his injury is likely affecting him, Naz’s play is a concerning sign as the playoffs near.
All in all, the Timberwolves need Reid to get on track, but if he doesn’t, there’s a very understandable explanation as to why.