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Offseason | NBA Week 26

Timberwolves C Naz Reid named Sixth Man of Year

Wed Apr 24 7:27pm ET
Field Level Media

Naz Reid entered the NBA as an undrafted free agent with no guarantee of a long pro career.

Now the fifth-year center is officially the best reserve in the NBA after being named Sixth Man of the Year on Wednesday evening.

Reid narrowly edged out Malik Monk of the Sacramento Kings to win the award. Reid received 45 first-place votes and 352 total points to Monk's 43 and 342, respectively.

Bobby Portis of the Milwaukee Bucks was third with 81 points, followed by Norman Powell (65) of the Los Angeles Clippers and Bogdan Bogdanovic (40) of the Atlanta Hawks.


Reid is the third undrafted player to win the John Havlicek Trophy. The others are John Starks (1996-97) of the New York Knicks and Darrell Armstrong (1998-99) of the Orlando Magic.

Reid, 24, established career highs of 13.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 169 3-point baskets and 41.4 percent accuracy from 3-point range while helping Minnesota to a 56-26 record this season. The 169 treys are the most in NBA history for an undrafted center/power forward.

"I have to get a feel and direction for how the game is going," Reid told TNT of his approach before entering the game. "I kind of joke around with my teammates, but it's a feel that we want to keep the momentum going.

"We have to have the mentality to come back in the game or push the lead forward. So I think having the same mentality but also scanning the game and see what's going on."

Reid did start 14 games in March while star Karl-Anthony Towns was sidelined with a knee injury.

He is the first member of the Timberwolves to win the award.

"We couldn't be more proud of Naz for being named Sixth Man of the Year," Minnesota coach Chris Finch said in a news release. "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."

Reid played college basketball at LSU.

Player Notes
Evan Mobley Thu May 9 11:20pm

Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center Evan Mobley had a big game in Thursday's win over the Celtics. The 22-year-old has struggled offensively during the postseason. However, he finished with 21 points in Game 2, a postseason career-high, to help the Cavs knot the series at one game each. With Jarrett Allen (rib) out of the lineup, Mobley continues to do all he can to keep things secure underneath the basket. Although he isn't a consistent scorer, he'll at least routinely accumulate blocks and rebounds for DFS managers for the remainder of the playoffs.

Reggie Jackson Thu May 9 11:20pm

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Reggie Jackson (calf) is questionable for Friday's playoff meeting with the Timberwolves. The veteran has a calf contusion. However, with Jamal Murray (calf) also battling a calf issue of his own, Jackson should be out there for Game 3. With that said, he's averaged only four points in this series, so DFS managers should look for other options.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Thu May 9 11:10pm

Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (abdomen) is questionable for Friday's matchup with Minnesota. The Nuggets are down two games in this series, so the abdominal contusion likely won't be enough to keep him out of the lineup. While KCP has logged heavy minutes during the playoffs, he averaged just 8.4 points in the previous series versus the Lakers. Caldwell-Pope has played worse against the Timberwolves, so he's not a recommended DFS option for Game 3 and beyond, although he can get hot whenever he's on the floor.

Jamal Murray Thu May 9 11:00pm

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (calf) is back on the injury report for Friday's postseason matchup with the Timberwolves. He's been battling a left calf strain, although he has played through it during the postseason. However, it's clear the ailment continues to bother the 27-year-old, considering he's averaged only 12.5 points throughout the series with Minnesota. With that said, Murray will likely be out there for Game 3. Yet, the injury could continue to cause him to struggle, making him a risky DFS option..

Tyrese Haliburton Thu May 9 11:00pm

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (back) is questionable for Friday's meeting with the Knicks. He had just six points in the series opener on Monday. As a result, head coach Rick Carlisle addressed reporters heading into Game 2, indicating Haliburton's back injury was a cause of concern. However, the 24-year-old turned things around on Wednesday night, finishing with a team-high 34 points, adding nine assists, six boards, and three steals. He also shot an efficient 7-for-11 from behind the arc. With that in mind, Haliburton should be out there for Game 3. Unfortunately, he hasn't been a consistent DFS option during the postseason, so fantasy managers may look for other options.

Jalen Brunson Thu May 9 7:00pm

New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson (foot) is considered questionable for Friday's Game 3 of the second-round series against the Pacers. The Knicks leader injured his right foot on Wednesday in Game 2. He was able to finish the game, but the questionable tag leaves his status iffy for Friday's contest. If he's out, Miles McBride would get a big opportunity to impress as Brunson's replacement in the starting unit. The 23-year-old posted 17.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.4 steals as a starter during the regular season.

OG Anunoby Thu May 9 6:50pm

New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (hamstring) has been ruled out for Friday's Game 3 against the Pacers. He suffered a hamstring strain in Game 2 on Wednesday. Despite the injury, Anunoby managed to post his new playoff career high with 28 points in 28 minutes. He's also an outstanding defender, and Anunoby's injury is definitely a big blow for the Knicks, who have gone 26-5 with him in the lineup since acquiring the versatile forward from Toronto. Precious Achiuwa and Alec Burks should share Anunoby's minutes, with the rest of the Knicks squad already logging a massive amount of playing time in the playoffs.

Jarrett Allen Thu May 9 6:50pm

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (rib) isn't ready to return to the lineup Thursday for Game 2 against Boston, with the team downgrading him from questionable to out. Allen hasn't featured since Game 4 of the team's first-round battle with Orlando, missing time with a rib contusion. Isaac Okoro is poised for another start on Thursday in Allen's place. He's been quiet throughout the postseason, averaging 5.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 23.8 minutes.

Patrick Beverley Thu May 9 3:10pm

Milwaukee Bucks point guard Patrick Beverley has been suspended four games without pay by the NBA. During Game 6 of the first round against the Indiana Pacers, the 35-year-old was involved in an altercation, resulting in Beverely forcefully throwing a basketball into the stands toward fans. Additionally, after the game, he was involved in "an inappropriate interaction" with an ESPN reporter during media availability. His suspension will begin at the start of next season. Beverely heads into the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

T.J. McConnell Thu May 9 9:40am

Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell led the team with 12 assists and provided 10 points in Wednesday's Game 2 loss to the Knicks. The veteran guard logged a very productive 22 minutes off the bench, adding four rebounds to his tally and shooting 5-for-9 from the field. The Pacers were plus-10 with McConnell on the floor. That's now three straight games with double-digit scoring for McConnell, who has also averaged 8.0 dimes during the stretch. Indiana tends to play better with him on the court, and Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle clearly needs to find more minutes for McConnell to turn things around in the series.

Obi Toppin Thu May 9 9:30am

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin had a prolific outing in Game 2 against the Knicks on Wednesday, finishing a 130-121 loss with 20 points. He scored a point per minute off the bench, shooting 7-for-10 from the field with a 2-for-4 effort from behind the arc. Toppin also notched three rebounds, one assist, and one steal. The Pacers are struggling in the series, but Toppin has enjoyed the battle against his former team. He has shot a very impressive 70.6 percent through the first two games, averaging 16.0 points with 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Game 3 gives Toppin a chance to make it three 20-point efforts in four games.

Tyrese Haliburton Thu May 9 9:30am

Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton scored a game-high 34 points with seven makes from downtown in Wednesday's 130-121 loss to the Knicks. After shaking off a questionable tag again, Haliburton enjoyed a good start with 13 first-quarter points and ended up with his highest-scoring game of the 2024 playoffs. He shot 11-for-19 overall from the field and finished one assist short of a double-double while recording six rebounds and three steals. Haliburton, who has been battling lower back spasms in the postseason, hasn't looked quite like himself lately, but his Game 2 outing was an encouraging sign that the best has yet to come from him. Indiana certainly needs similar efforts from Haliburton to take this series past four games.

Isaiah Hartenstein Thu May 9 9:20am

New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein came up with a big all-around performance against the Pacers in Wednesday's Game 2, finishing a 130-121 win with 14 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, and one block. The 26-year-old big man, who averages 1.7 dimes for his career, came very close to a triple-double as he led his team in assists. Despite the narrow miss, Hartenstein should be extremely happy with his contributions in Game 2, and he at least got to celebrate his first double-double of the playoffs. There should be plenty more of those to come for Hartenstein after Mitchell Robinson (ankle) landed on the shelf.

Josh Hart Thu May 9 9:10am

New York Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart was once again on the court for the entire contest as the Knickerbockers grabbed a 2-0 series lead with a 130-121 victory against the Pacers on Wednesday. He also logged the entire 48 minutes in Game 1 and has now done it four times in total during the 2024 postseason. Hart posted a third consecutive double-double on Wednesday with 19 points and 15 rebounds, adding seven assists, one steal, and one block to his account. He finished with 8-for-12 shooting, going 1-for-3 from behind the arc. The 29-year-old has averaged a ridiculous 48.2 minutes per game over New York's last five matches. Hart has also been very productive during his time on the court, logging 21.8 points, 14.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 2.0 steals in the series against Indiana.

Donte DiVincenzo Thu May 9 9:10am

New York Knicks guard/forward Donte DiVincenzo contributed 28 points in Wednesday's 130-121 Game 2 victory over Indiana, shooting 6-for-12 from three-point range. He was 10-for-20 overall from the field with six rebounds, four assists, and one steal. DiVincenzo had a cold start to the postseason, but he's now posted at least 23 points in three consecutive games. He's a very talented shooter, and Indiana has given him a lot of looks in the series, with DiVincenzo having recorded 21 attempts from deep. The 27-year-old sniper has shot 52.4 percent from downtown through the first two games.

Jalen Brunson Thu May 9 9:00am

New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson shook off a foot injury to put up a team-high 29 points on 11-for-18 shooting in Wednesday's Game 2 win over Indiana. The Knicks star missed the entire second quarter with a sore right foot, but he was back in action for the start of the third and played like nothing had happened. Brunson was 3-for-6 with his three-point attempts and also led his team with three steals while delivering five assists and grabbing two rebounds. The foot problem could land Brunson on the injury report ahead of Game 3, but it looks like he can play through the ailment.

OG Anunoby Wed May 8 10:10pm

New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (hamstring) won't return to Wednesday's matchup against the Pacers. He had played well in the contest, scoring 28 points while shooting 10-for-19 from the field and 4-for-7 from deep. Unfortunately, Anunoby limped off the court late in the third quarter, with TNT's Chris Haynes reporting the former Raptor experienced left hamstring soreness. Jalen Brunson (foot) briefly exited this contest, although he returned. However, DFS managers will likely see both men on the injury report ahead of Game 3 on Friday evening. While Anunoby is sidelined, Precious Achiuwa will likely see more work.

OG Anunoby Wed May 8 10:00pm

New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (leg) exited Wednesday's postseason matchup with the Pacers. Jalen Brunson (foot) left in the first half because of right foot discomfort. Fortunately, Brunson returned, although now the team could be without Anunoby, who limped off the court while holding his left hamstring in the third quarter. If he doesn't return, he'll finish with 28 points, shooting 10-for-19 from the field and 4-for-7 from deep, with Precious Achiuwa and Miles McBride expected to see more minutes the rest of the way.

Jalen Brunson Wed May 8 9:40pm

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (foot) returned to Wednesday's postseason contest versus the Pacers. Brunson experienced right foot discomfort in the first quarter and was questionable to return. However, while fantasy managers are happy he's out there, it's evident he's not 100%. Of course, head coach Tom Thibodeau will monitor Brunson throughout the contest, and he will likely see fewer minutes than usual.

Kristaps Porzingis Wed May 8 9:30pm

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (calf) remains out for Thursday's matchup against the Cavaliers. The 28-year-old suffered a right Soleus strain during the previous round versus the Miami Heat. Fortunately, team reporter Chris Forsberg posted a video to X on Wednesday that showed Porzingis doing some shooting. Nonetheless, he could still miss the remainder of the series with Cleveland. But until Porzingis is back in the lineup, Al Horford and Luke Kornet should handle things in the middle.