In a historic achievement for the Minnesota Timberwolves, forward Naz Reid has been crowned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year for the 2023-24 season. Reid’s stellar performance not only marks a personal milestone but also makes him the first player from the Timberwolves franchise to clinch this prestigious award.
Standing tall at 6-foot-9, the 24-year-old Reid showcased remarkable growth throughout the season, boasting career-high averages of 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. His contributions were instrumental in steering the Timberwolves to an impressive 56-26 record, securing the coveted No. 3 seed in the fiercely competitive Western Conference. Currently, the team leads the first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns with a commanding 2-0 advantage.
Despite the setback of Karl-Anthony Towns’ injury in March, sidelining him for the subsequent 18 games, the Minnesota Timberwolves displayed resilience and continued their winning momentum. During this challenging period, Naz Reid started 12 out of 13 games and delivering standout performances. Remarkably, the Wolves maintained a strong record of 10 wins and only 3 losses from March 16 to April 10. His impressive offensive output, averaging 17.1 points on 45.4% shooting during this stretch.
“I kind of joke around with my teammates a little bit, but it’s kind of a saying where I feel like we have to keep the momentum going, anyway,” Reid shared in an interview on TNT following the announcement of the award. “Either we got to have the mentality to come back in the game, or to push the lead forward.”
Reid secured a total of 352 points in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting, propelled by 45 first-place votes, 39 second-place votes, and 10 third-place votes from a panel consisting of 99 reporters and broadcasters covering the league. His narrow victory over Malik Monk was highlighted by the tight margin of 10 points, with Monk garnering 43 first-place votes and matching Reid’s count in second and third-place votes, resulting in a final tally of 342 points for Monk.
According to NBA Communications, the 10-point difference between Reid and Monk marked the smallest margin in NBA Sixth Man of the Year balloting since the inception of the current voting format in the 2002-03 season.
Monk, aged 26, averaged 15.4 points and 5.1 assists per game, respectively, throughout the season. His stellar performance contributed significantly to the success of the Sacramento Kings, where he played alongside his college teammate, De’Aaron Fox. Together, they propelled the Kings to 46 wins and secured the team’s second consecutive winning season.
In addition to Reid and Monk, Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis emerged as a notable contender, securing the third position in the voting with five first-place votes and a total of 82 points. LA Clippers guard Norman Powell (two first-place votes) finished fourth, while Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanović received five first-place votes to finish fifth and round out the players to receive at least one first-place vote.
The NBA is gearing up to announce its prestigious individual awards, starting with the Clutch Player of the Year award on Thursday (Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan, Gilgeous-Alexander). The Coach of the Year accolade will be unveiled on Sunday (Mark Daigneault, Chris Finch, Jamahl Mosley). Fans can also anticipate the forthcoming announcements of the Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year awards, alongside the unveiling of the All-NBA, All-Defensive, and All-Rookie teams, adding to the excitement of the NBA season’s culmination.
