re: Naz Reid wins sixth man of the year!

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I love Naz and he was very good when he was here.

But he had terrible balance and strength here. He would get knocked to the floor a couple times every game. That was very odd for a guy his size.

For that reason alone, I thought he might struggle in the NBA, and I guess the teams saw that too.

But clearly he's fixed those issues and is doing extremely well. He always had the skills.

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He always had rare skill for his size. Which is why he was a 5 star recruit. But at LSU he wanted to be a 6'9, 250 lb SG. Wade let him play on the perimeter early in the season. Reid was inconsistent there adjusting to the college game. Then, after LSU blew a lead vs a top 10 FSU team where Reid had 2 rebounds in 40+ minutes (the game went to OT), Wade made him go inside and use his size. That made LSU a much better team because they became a dominant offensive rebounding team. But it didn't really showcase Reid's potential skillset. He also had a bit of a reputation as a poor defender and not being a hard worker.

Ultimately, he signed with probably the perfect team for him. Minnesota was young, and not very good. But they allowed the team and Reid to grow and Reid to refine his game. Now he's a 6'9 260 lb guy who can play the 2-5 positions. KAT missed some games this year and Minnesota didn't miss a beat with Reid filling the void for a team that is a legitimate Finals contender.

Sometimes "fit" matters as much as the player. If Reid goes elsewhere may not be in the the league today.