Naz Reid staying upbeat, ready despite inconsistent minutes with Timberwolves

Naz Reid didn't play in the Timberwolves' victory at Oklahoma City on Sunday until late in the third quarter. Once he entered the game, he didn't come out.

Reid and a lineup that also featured Anthony Edwards, Jaylen Nowell, Jordan McLaughlin and Taurean Prince broke open Sunday's game and led to an easy Wolves victory.

One of the tertiary questions around the Wolves' acquisition of Rudy Gobert was where it would leave Reid in terms of earning his minutes.

If these first games of the season are an indication, Reid can expect a different answer on a different night. He didn't play at all in the opener, clocked nine minutes Friday against Utah before playing 13 on Sunday. Monday against San Antonio, Reid was playing alongside Karl-Anthony Towns in the first half.

"Particularly proud of Naz because his role this year is going to be like that," coach Chris Finch said after Sunday's game. "Some nights he comes in and some nights he won't, and he's staying ready. It's always hard but is a sign of a great professional."

Reid is in his fourth year and will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, so a cut in minutes could hurt his future earning ability. In his first three seasons, he has averaged 17.2 minutes and 9.5 points per game as he was primarily the backup center for Towns. Now he is behind two All-Star centers, with the Wolves wanting to keep either one of Towns and Gobert on the floor at all times.

The Wolves have also talked about using Reid as a power forward, but Reid has not seen regular minutes at that position yet.

"It's all part of the process," Reid said. "I've been in worse predicaments before, and I'm able to tough it out and do what I do. At the end of the day everybody on the team believes in me, and that's the biggest thing, that they all support me, whether it's in the game, on the bench, whatever the case may be.

"So we're still one. It's not about my minutes, it's about how far we get."

Though roles and minutes may fluctuate, Reid said he has been in the league long enough to know his chance to produce on a regular basis will likely come.

"That's the biggest thing, staying ready, being positive on the bench, cheering on my teammates. I think it's full circle," Reid said. "It'll come back around to me. Being patient. Those expectations are high still at the end of the day."

Reid said his experience has helped him deal with the lack of playing time. He is better equipped to handle it in his fourth season than he might have been in his first one.