Should Naz Reid start for the Timberwolves? | The Kevin O'Connor Show

Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O'Connor and Timberwolves podcaster Dane Moore discuss whether reigning Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid should start for the Timberwolves in the future. Listen to the full conversation on The Kevin O'Connor Show and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen.

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Video transcript

I said before the season that I would like to see Nas Reed in the starting lineup ahead of Julius Randall at some point, you know, but it looks good to see him playing with Randall as well.

The combinations, you know, they all exist, yes, but let's talk about them.

Let's talk about it.

OK.

Just as you are Chris Finch, I am Tim Connolly.

And you think, you know what, Dane, I want to start with Nas Reed here.

Don't you think this would have political costs?

No doubt.

But that's why when I heard you say that, I was like, “Man, I just feel like you're skipping over this.”

Of course, 100% of the political costs are incurred.

So ultimately I don't think it will happen.

It would offend Julius Randall.

He would sulk, he would be unhappy.

So you have no choice but to become famous. Maybe it depends more on who finishes these games, but every series is different and Minnesota has an advantage here.

Now there was too much overlap between Nas Reed and Carl, Anthony Towns.

They've done too many similar things.

Randall is completely different, completely different from these guys.

And I think that's where Chris Finch now has the luxury of: OK, I can play one of these guys, I can play completely different combinations of two of these guys, and that changes the entire look of the team.

So from a policy standpoint, I think it's unrealistic to expect Julius Randall to come off the bench unless he's kind of bought in and said, Oh, some of the greatest players in NBA history have been six-man players.

Manu Ginobili Kevin Mchale.

I may be one of those guys, but I don't think Julius Randall sees it the same way.

I wish he had done it.

I'd like to see Randall pulverize the bench units, but you can still do that if you're Chris Finch with your rotations and if you have guys out there on the floor.

So I think that's ultimately why you're saying, I want Nasri to play more like I think those are the shots that I love.

Who doesn't love Nasri?

I definitely do, man.

Get it, get in.

But Nas played 22 minutes per game in the games Carl played last year.

That's not enough.

The Wolves, the Wolves didn't have a Nas Reed problem.

Last year they had a game problem where Nas Reed has yet to play seven minutes.

And I think that Nas can now be in a closing lineup so that you can start Randall and that you can get to that at the end with Rudy and Naz closing out the game and at the end they can give Naz and they gave Naz more of them have a chance in these first three games by starting Julius Randall and frankly benefiting from what you get when Julius Randall starts the game.

So I think we might as well put the whole thing on hold for a while with Randall coming off the bench.

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