Will Minnesota Timberwolves Naz Reid compete after his surgery?

Although he has helped to carry the Minnesota Timberwolves to the last lap of the 2022-23 NBA season, backup center Naz Reid will not be able to suit up to help get the team over the finish line. That’s due to the fact that he suffered a devastating injury to his wrist in a 107-100 loss on the road to the Phoenix Suns on March 29, 2023.

He has missed the past three games, and will not be able to play in the final two contests of the season. Here is the full update about his injury from the Minnesota Timberwolves press release:

The injury to Reid’s wrist was so severe that it needed corrective surgery, which took place on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. Initial reports indicate that everything went smoothly for Reid, and there are no limitations to his play following recovery and rest:

But the Minnesota Timberwolves roster will need to find a way to win consistently without Naz Reid if this team hopes to give him the opportunity to play before the 2023-24 NBA season. The Timberwolves face the San Antonio Spurs on the road today, April 8, 2023, and then return to Target Center to host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, April 9, 2023, to close out their season.

NBA Playoffs, Play Ins, and playing in the postseason

Following that, the Timberwolves will face the NBA Play-In Tournament, and depending on the Timberwolves’ seeding may need to win up to two consecutive games just for the right to compete in the NBA Playoffs this season. Depending on the outcome of the Play-In Tournament, the Timberwolves will likely either face the Denver Nuggets or Memphis Grizzlies.

The Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans have both reached the 42-win plateau, the highest possible win total for the Timberwolves at 40-40. That means that the Timberwolves must win both remaining games, and then hope for a Lakers’ loss to the Utah Jazz in their last game to have a shot at the seventh seed.

Regardless of how the Timberwolves perform in these final two games, they are assured no better than the chance to compete in the NBA Play-In Tournament right now. And as it now stands, the Timberwolves are the ninth-seeded team in the NBA Western Conference and will host the Oklahoma City Thunder for the right to play the loser of the Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans contest. Only by winning those two games do the Timberwolves earn a berth in the NBA Playoffs, and in this scenario the Timberwolves would compete against the Denver Nuggets in a best-of-seven series.

Even if the Timberwolves win out, the team will need help from the Utah Jazz to end the season as the seventh seed. But first things first. The Minnesota Timberwolves must defeat the San Antonio Spurs (21-59), something that the Timberwolves have only managed to accomplish once in three attempts this season.

Worst of all, the Timberwolves won’t have the benefit of suiting up backup center Naz Reid, so the remaining players on the Timberwolves roster must step up, keep winning, and hopefully continue competing until Reid can return.