Timberwolves C overcomes long odds, wins Sixth Man of the Year
On Wednesday, Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid was named 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year. It's a bit of a surprise, considering he was a long shot to win the award at the start of the season.
ESPN Bet's X account listed him at +7500 to win Sixth Man of the Year before the season began. He beat Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk by two first-place votes, a narrow margin.
However, Reid is deserving. In 81 regular-season games, he set career highs in scoring (13.5 points per game), rebounds (5.2) and three-point percentage (41.4).
In March, Reid stepped up when Timberwolves starting center Karl-Anthony Towns missed 16 games with a knee injury. Per CBS Sports' Sam Quinn, Reid started in 14 games during this stretch, averaging 17.9 points and 6.8 rebounds. Minnesota, meanwhile, went 11-5.
"We couldn't be more proud of Naz for being named Sixth Man of the Year," Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said in a statement, via NBA.com. "His contributions to our team this year were a key reason for our team's success. His growth this season and attention to detail to improve his game in the offseason were a main factor in Naz becoming the best reserve man in the NBA."
The Timberwolves signed Reid to a three-year, $42M deal last offseason, which has clearly paid off.
According to NBA Communications, Reid joins John Starks (1996-97) and Darrell Armstrong (1998-99) as the only undrafted players to win the award. The 6-foot-9, 240-pounder is also the first player in Timberwolves history to be named the NBA's top sixth man.
Reid could help the Timberwolves advance past the first round of the NBA playoffs since 2004-05. Minnesota is up 2-0 on the Phoenix Suns heading into Game 3 on Friday.
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