Naz Reid had been playing well as a substitute player for the Minnesota Timberwolves, especially when they had to play without their All-Star, Karl-Anthony Towns.
Even when Reid had to step into the starting lineup, he continued to perform excellently, helping the Timberwolves achieve one of their best seasons ever.
For his efforts, Reid was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year on Wednesday, narrowly beating out Malik Monk from Sacramento in a close competition. Reid is the third player who wasn’t drafted to win this award, which recognizes the league’s top reserve player.
During the season, Reid achieved career highs in points and rebounds, averaging 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in 81 games. He came off the bench for 67 of those games, giving him a chance to get into the flow of the game before making a significant impact.
“I kind of joke around with my teammates a little bit, but it’s kind of a saying where I feel like we have to keep the momentum going, anyway,” Reid said in an interview after the award was announced.
“Either we got to have the mentality to come back in the game, or to push the lead forward.”
Standing at 6 feet 9 inches tall, Reid played a crucial role in helping the Timberwolves maintain momentum throughout the season, resulting in a 56-26 record and securing the third seed in the Western Conference. They currently lead 2-0 against the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs.
Despite Towns being sidelined due to injury for 18 games, the Timberwolves continued to perform well, especially during a stretch from March 16 to April 10, when they went 10-3 with Reid starting 12 of those games. During this period, Reid averaged 17.1 points on 45.4% shooting.
In the voting for the Sixth Man of the Year award, Reid received 45 first-place votes, compared to Monk’s 43, from a panel of 99 reporters and broadcasters. Both players received 39 second-place votes and 10 third-place votes, giving Reid a total of 352 points and Monk 342.
Bobby Portis Jr. from Milwaukee finished third, followed by Norman Powell from the Clippers in fourth place and Bogdan Bogdanović from Atlanta in fifth place.
Reid wasn’t drafted from LSU in 2019 but joined the Timberwolves with a two-way contract. He impressed the team and earned a multiyear contract extension last summer. This season, he scored 843 points off the bench, the second-most in franchise history.
