Five players on the brink

These guys are poised to take a major leap

BY DAVID THORPE

Naz Reid is proving he’s a legit NBA starter—a fact that may force the Wolves to reconsider their future plans. DAVID BERDING/GETTY IMAGES

Saying I’m obsessed with potential is like saying the sky is blue: pure fact. 

Recently, we’ve tackled the world’s best player today and who will be the best in five years. But which players are trending toward Most Improved, the All-Defensive Team, or even an All-Star berth as early as next season? And what reference points can they take into their offseason curriculum?

Henry Abbott is working on a story about how the best players in the NBA don’t always start out that way—they tend to be the best at improving year after year. This is a story about five players who are in the middle of that, and trending up. 

I focused on five guys under 25 who’ve shown notable progress over the past two seasons—and not just former lottery picks. Jonathan Kuminga, turning heads for a couple months now, might be the most popular inclusion. But what about future All-Defensive Team candidates Jalen Suggs and Andrew Nembhard—or Jabari Smith Jr., the Rockets’ budding two-way star? And now that the Wolves have a Towns-sized hole on both ends, versatile big Naz Reid is on the rise. 

Let’s take a look at how they’re doing, how far they’ve come, and how they can turn this year’s progress into next year’s success.

Naz Reid – Big, Timberwolves

I loved Naz Reid coming out of LSU; after watching him on tape, I could see why people thought he’d be a first-round pick. However, no team called his name; NBA front offices reportedly had concerns about his fitness, lateral movement, and willingness to grind. The Wolves, after watching him tackle those concerns head on in the G League and seeing him with the team, signed the 6-9 Reid to a four-year deal in 2019—then extended him for three years and $41 million last summer.