The Minnesota Timberwolves are still elated that they were able to re-sign Naz Reid for an additional three years with the team. Getting one of the Wolves’ biggest free agent targets back in town on a smaller-than-anticipated deal sets them up incredibly well for next season.
After four years in Minnesota, Naz Reid became a bona fide Timberwolves fan favorite. He has showed his willingness to put in work and sacrifice for the good of the team, and he will remain one of the most important players on the Wolves’ bench.
In getting Naz Reid back, it will allow Head Coach Chris Finch to tinker more with lineups and see what new and exciting ways he can harness Big Jelly’s talent. To the surprise of many, Finch expressed during Reid’s extension announcement press conference that he would not rule out the possibility of playing him alongside the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert.
At Naz Reid’s contract extension press conference, Chris Finch said Reid’s role will be as a backup 4 and a backup 5, but that he isn’t ruling out playing Reid, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert all at the same time.
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) July 5, 2023
Chris Finch will not rule out playing Naz Reid in lineups with Towns and Gobert.
This statement came as a shock mostly because of the increasing scarcity of multi-big lineups in the NBA. Playing two traditional bigs next to each other in 2023 seems bizarre, but three is borderline unheard of.
Of course, Finch is likely not talking about Minnesota’s *starting* lineup. Rather, he is simply saying there are scenarios throughout the course of a game where he could see the three of them working well together.
A statement that still comes off as a bit questionable to many. After all, the Timberwolves have already been the subject of scrutiny for employing Towns and Gobert next to one another. That pairing will still need more time before we can be sure it will work in the long-term, and adding another cog just seems like more trouble.
But on the flip side of the coin, a Reid/Towns/Gobert lineup would have a lot of fun potential. Could you imagine Reid as a ball handler in a pick-and-roll situation with Gobert? Or Reid setting a screen while Towns pops to the perimeter?
We will see what kind of tricks Chris Finch has up his sleeve regarding Naz Reid this season. Timberwolves fans can rest assured they will be in for some surprises.