The Minnesota Timberwolves are now on a four-game win streak. One of the biggest problems early on for the Timberwolves was the Julius Randle and Naz Reid pairing, which, in turn, caused many of the struggles in the non-Rudy Gobert minutes. Thankfully, this duo has started to turn things around recently. During this four-game win streak, Randle and Reid have a plus-10.3 net rating.
Let's put this number into perspective, though. For the season, Randle and Reid have a plus-0.5 net rating. Additionally, last year, they had a plus-2.4 net rating, and for the first 11 games of this season, they had a minus-5.5 net rating.
If this impressive recent trend holds, though, it could be a game-changer for the Wolves.
The Wolves are getting the most out of the Randle and Reid pairing
Offense has never been a problem for this duo. The increased shot creation and floor spacing of this pairing should, in theory, give the Wolves more upside. However, the problem for the Randle and Reid pairing has always been defense.
During the first 11 games of the season, they had a 132.3 defensive rating. In the last four games, though, this duo has a 115.1 's defensive rating. This translates from the worst DRTG of all-time to the 18th-ranked defense in the league.
What's changed? The biggest thing in my eyes is that the Wolves are running more zone with Randle and Reid on the court. It's not every play that they go to a zone, but it's been utilized more often in recent games. This ensures that there's always some rim protection, which has been a key problem during the non-Rudy minutes. Jaden McDaniels also operates as the de facto five-man in this zone at times.
The Wolves notably shut the door on the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday with Randle and Reid, and their zone. While he's a controversial figure among Wolves fans, you have to give Chris Finch credit for trying something new and maximizing the defense with this duo.
Caught a little bit of it live but the Wolves zone with Jaden McDaniels in the middle and Reid/Randle on the outside was intriguing.
— Steve Jones (@stevejones20) December 1, 2025
Is this a sustainable solution? I'm not sure. The risk with running zone is that teams can beat you by shooting. Still, teams like the Houston Rockets run zone regularly, so I don't see why this can't be the case for the Wolves. At the very least, Finch has found a temporary solution to maximize this duo on the defensive side of the floor.
Another thing that I have to mention is that Reid's activity has stood out in recent weeks. Dating back to the last seven games, Reid is averaging 2.4 stocks; this is a significant jump from his career average of 1.6 stocks. Reid deserves massive props for his increased activity and engagement off the ball.
Ultimately, it's an incredibly positive sign that the Randle and Reid minutes have been much improved in recent weeks. The offensive benefits to this duo are clear, and if the defense can maintain its recent success, that could change everything for the Wolves.