Naz Reid Highlights: LSU to NBA - Minnesota Timberwolves

You have a cat named Nas Reed

Nas Reed. The all-star team is lost. Oh, and now dribbles. Oh, my goodness, Nas Reed

Word for you, Nas Reed. Nas Reed, that's it. I know this crowd is special to you

Nas Reed on three. One, two, three. Nas Reed. He's better than a lot of people think, so he's going to show you this year

I'm only 24. I'm just getting started. Anything you want to tell him for the upcoming season

Stay with us. It's going to get crazy this year. Nazrion Hilton Reed was raised in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and attended Rizal Catholic High

School in Rizal, New Jersey. Growing up in a football family, Naz didn't start playing

organized basketball until seventh grade, but by the time high school had come around

it was his primary sport. He clearly had a natural gift because by the time he was a senior in high

school, he was a five-star recruit, ranked as the 22nd best player in his class by 247 sports

and would eventually commit to Louisiana State University. Due to both his unique style of play

being a big man but playing like a guard, and also growing up during peak high school basketball

social media days, Nas really made a name for himself before he ever stepped foot on the LSU

campus. He was very closely linked to Jelly Fam and even had the nickname Big Jelly. Nas would go

on to play just one season at LSU, averaging 13.6 points per game and 7.2 rebounds, and would help

take his third seed at LSU Tigers to the Sweet 16, where they would lose to Michigan State

Projected to be a lottery pick when he first came to LSU in the summer of 2018, he would go on to

have a very disappointing combine, most notably weighing in at 256 pounds and 14% body fat

being the only player at the NBA Combine with a body fat percentage above 10%

And on draft night, the unthinkable happened. Nas Reed would go undrafted, a unlikely fall from grace for a player of such high caliber

coming out of high school. The Minnesota Timberwolves would sign him to a two contract as an undrafted free agent in the summer of 2019 Nas would play the first portion of his rookie season with the Timberwolves G League affiliate

the Iowa Wolves, and in just 16 games, he would impress, averaging 18.4 points per game and 9.9

rebounds. After a Carl Anthony Towns injury that had him sidelined, Nas would get his first chance

at the NBA level. He would play the rest of his rookie season with the Wolves, averaging 9 points

per game, 4.1 rebounds, and starting in 11 games. And that 30-game opportunity that Nas got as a

rookie, he would never give back. After a strong sophomore season, averaging 11 points per game on

52.3% from the field and in only 19 minutes per game, Nas would come into his third season in the

NBA in the best shape of his life, weighing only 237 pounds. And although he would have somewhat

of a down season in his third NBA season, playing the least amount of minutes he had ever played

and scoring only 8.3 points per game, it would be his fourth regular season

which was last year, where he would really start to show how far he had come from being undrafted

Once the Wolves lost Carl Anthony Towns to a serious left calf strain in November

Nas would get his opportunity at extended minutes. And although it still wasn't every game

when he was getting 25, 30, 35 minutes a game, he was scoring at an incredible rate

By the time March came around and the Wolves were battling for a playoff position

Nas was playing some of the best basketball of his career during a four-game winning streak for the Timberwolves

including 26 points versus Atlanta and 23 points in a must-win game at Golden State

After putting up 18 points in 20 minutes versus the Kings, and already having 15 points in just 23 minutes versus the Phoenix Suns

Nas would go up to try to dunk on Bismack Biambo and come down directly on his wrist

He would stay in the game and shoot both of his free throws but get subbed out quickly afterwards and unfortunately after some x-rays were taken

It was found out that Nas Reed had suffered a fractured wrist and was out for the rest of the season Which is a real shame because I feel like at this point Nas Reed was one of the best hidden secrets in the NBA And the basketball world deserved to see his brilliance in a playoff series But now here we are in his fifth season in the NBA at still just 24 years old

And he is currently having, by and large, the greatest season of his career

He's currently averaging a career-high 13.5 points per game and is in the 50-40-90 club with 50.8% from the field, 40% from three, and 92% from the free throw line

And this is all the while still only playing 22 minutes per game

Keep in mind, Nas Reed is playing with two all NBA caliber centers in Rudy Gobert and

Carl Anthony Towns. So what's almost more impressive than his play itself is him being able to be that valuable

to the Timberwolves and get on the floor as a backup center who has fought his way into

a six-man role. And if you watch him play extensively, you would see that if he was playing anywhere else

he's averaging 20 to 22 points per game with serious minutes. Actually, just two nights ago, he had 27 points with a career-high 7 threes

going 7 for 11 from 3, and Luka had this to say about him in the post-game presser

But what was maybe even more impressive is what Chris Finch had to say after the game

which was that he did all of this within the flow of their offense and having no specific plays called for him

Check out this hezi he had on Wemby just a week ago and this in and out he had later in that game

I could seriously just roll highlights from this season alone of Nasri

that you probably haven't seen before. Every single season, he's added more to his game

and he's at the point now in his fifth season where he is a very complete offensive player

He can score in the post. He finishes very well with his left hand. He's shooting 40% from three

He has one of the best in and out dribbles in the NBA and to move like he does and as quick as he does at 6'9"

truly makes him one of the most unique players in the NBA at the moment But maybe the most interesting part about Nas Reed is how much of an icon he has become to the Minnesota Timberwolves fanbase This is a guy who came in to one of the worst franchises in

North American sports history as an undrafted free agent with zero expectations who they've seen

just blossom before their eyes. The level of love that the Timberwolves fanbase has for Nas Reed

is almost unmatched anywhere else to the point where it is an inside joke within the Wolves

fan base to just say two words Nas Reed so much so that Jade McDaniels reportedly walks by him

every time in the locker room and just says Nas Reed monotone with no other expression and the

Timberwolves ownership understood this Glenn Taylor Alex Rodriguez and Mark Laurie all agreed

they had to re-sign Nas Reed this summer Nas wanted to stay in Minnesota and was able to agree

to a team-friendly deal of three years 42 million which made every Timberwolves fan in Minnesota

breathe a sigh of relief. Austin Rivers had a quote that I thought was super interesting. He said

I had no idea till I played here that he was this good, but I knew in training camp, like after the

first day, I called my father. I called a whole bunch of people this entire season. I was like

yo, this dude is like a big time player, like a starting five. What's crazy to me is somehow

Nas Reid is not even in the top 10 for six man of the year odds on FanDuel. He's sitting at 11th

at plus 5,000. He's also having pretty easily his best season on the defensive end as well

And according to NBA.com, he is sixth in the entire NBA in defensive rating

The Wolves barely play in any nationally televised games this year, which is a huge L from Adam Silver and the league office

But when they do, I highly encourage you, if you are an NBA fan, to tune in

Nasrid's only gonna be on the court for about 20 to 22 minutes. But when he's on there, tune in

He's super fun to watch. and truly one of the most unique and iconic players in the NBA today

Thanks so much for watching. If you enjoyed this video, you'll enjoy the video I made

on how the OKC Thunders rebuild is somehow just beginning. Thanks for watching, and as always, we'll see you on the hardwood