3 Timberwolves who shattered expectations in preseason

3. Naz Reid

The big man has proven to be quite a force down low. Naz Reid will be playing in a backup role this season behind the starting frontcourt of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, but he showed his worth as one of the more high-end bigs in the NBA this preseason.

Starting in four of the Timberwolves’ five preseason contests, Reid routinely had his way in the paint against opposing players. Against the Clippers, he put up a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 9-of-13 from the field.

If that wasn’t good enough, he one-upped himself just a few nights later in Los Angeles. Reid poured in a team-high 22 points and 13 rebounds, bullying the Lakers’ post players en route to a 118-113 win.

Over the five-game preseason, he made seven three-pointers on 33% efficiency (which rises to 42% in games he made at least one three). Reid’s outside shooting was a major factor in manipulating what defenses did against the Timberwolves.

His impact on this Minnesota roster is hard to understate. As an intimidating post presence, he can give the starting frontcourt a true breather when they need a few quick minutes on the bench. Reid proved once again in preseason that he’s going to be bringing solid minutes nearly every time he steps on the floor.