The Minnesota Timberwolves have made consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances, meaning that the standard is high this season in Minnesota. Anthony Edwards has seemingly taken another step in his development, becoming one of the top scorers in the NBA this season with improved shot-making.

However, if Minnesota wants to go far again, Edwards won't be the player ultimately determining that, as the supporting cast needs to deliver. On Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks, Rudy Gobert stepped up with 22 points and 17 rebounds, but so did Naz Reid, who had 21 points and seven rebounds off the bench.

The start of the 2025-26 season wasn't great for Reid, who, through 11 games, was averaging 10.8 points and 5.0 rebounds on 42.1% shooting from the field and 32.1% from three-point range.

Those numbers aren't terrible for a bench player, but when you consider he was handed a five-year, $125 million extension in the 2025 offseason, his standard is far higher.

However, since the start of 2026, Reid has improved, averaging 14.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. Additionally, he's shooting 50.4% from the field and 42.2% from three-point range, looking like a far better player.

After his 21-point performance against Dallas on Friday night, head coach Chris Finch was asked about Reid's turnaround, attributing it to a reason many might not have pointed out.

"I can't remember exactly the time, but it was, you know, certainly within the first window of the season...I would say he really started to kind of just rebound really at a high level and make a lot of those types of plays. Get out and run, rebound, just play with more activity. That's what really got him going offensively," Finch said.

Finch also praised him for his ability to start creating his own shot, saying that he's one of Minnesota's action guys for being a quick decision maker.

Reid has just seven games this season with double-digit rebounds, but the counting stats aren't always the most important part. Given he plays next to Rudy Gobert and has other players like Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels snagging boards, the Timberwolves aren't expecting Reid to get double-digit rebounds every night.

Regardless, Reid's offensive game has progressed, and with Ayo Dosunmu now joining him on the bench, Minnesota has arguably the best two-man punch coming off the bench in the NBA.

There's still plenty of basketball left, and every win matters down the stretch for seeding. But if Reid can continue to play well, it improves their chances of another deep postseason run.