The Naz Reid Thread

[Klomp]

Some people will hate hearing this, but Glen Taylor made the right call last summer telling Tim Connelly to “get it done,” when Tim wasn’t willing to raise his offer to give Naz an extension, and he was going to become a free agent.

Naz also deserves a ton of credit. He was only days away from becoming an unrestricted free agent, and several more lucrative offers were rumored from other teams. He chose to come down on his number and play for less, on a team that wasn’t great for his career with big men ahead of him, because he liked the team and appreciated that the Wolves were willing to sign him.

I hate hearing it because you make it sound like the rest of the group didn't want him or weren't willing to sign him to an extension. That's simply not true. Yes, Taylor put his final stamp of approval on it when he couldn't say no, but it wasn't Taylor going against the wishes of everyone else in ownership and basketball operations.

[Klomp]

Three years from now I'm really hoping to see a starting lineup that includes Naz, Ant, Jaden, and NAW (maybe KAT as well). If that is the case, I think the Wolves future could be incredible.

I'm a little nervous about the idea of starting Ant and NAW.

Watching Phoenix should make us more than a little nervous about that.

Not at all similar in my mind. Per 36, Beal hasn't been under 2.6 turnovers per 36 since 2016-17. NAW's only time over 2.6 turnovers was his rookie year.

There's only one team in the league that's applying ball pressure like the Suns have seen in these first two games, and last time I checked NAW wouldn't be facing the Minnesota defense in games.

[BlacJacMac]

Three years from now I'm really hoping to see a starting lineup that includes Naz, Ant, Jaden, and NAW (maybe KAT as well). If that is the case, I think the Wolves future could be incredible.

I'm a little nervous about the idea of starting Ant and NAW.

Watching Phoenix should make us more than a little nervous about that.

Not at all similar in my mind. Per 36, Beal hasn't been under 2.6 turnovers per 36 since 2016-17. NAW's only time over 2.6 turnovers was his rookie year.

There's only one team in the league that's applying ball pressure like the Suns have seen in these first two games, and last time I checked NAW wouldn't be facing the Minnesota defense in games.

What is Beal's usage vs NAW's? (Between 2015 and last year, its been double NAW's this year).

Just saying that a guy who is capable of getting 5 or 6 assists is not necessarily a guy who can run an offense, or especially settle a team down/refocus them.

The Suns are not a great defense by any means, but they gave us fits during the regular season and Conley's play has been a major factor in that not happening in the postseason.

[shrink]

Some people will hate hearing this, but Glen Taylor made the right call last summer telling Tim Connelly to “get it done,” when Tim wasn’t willing to raise his offer to give Naz an extension, and he was going to become a free agent.

Naz also deserves a ton of credit. He was only days away from becoming an unrestricted free agent, and several more lucrative offers were rumored from other teams. He chose to come down on his number and play for less, on a team that wasn’t great for his career with big men ahead of him, because he liked the team and appreciated that the Wolves were willing to sign him.

I hate hearing it because you make it sound like the rest of the group didn't want him or weren't willing to sign him to an extension. That's simply not true. Yes, Taylor put his final stamp of approval on it when he couldn't say no, but it wasn't Taylor going against the wishes of everyone else in ownership and basketball operations.

Connelly would not have signed Naz without Taylor calling him and telling him to “get it done.”

It’s true that Connelly wanted Naz back, and had been making extension offers that were too low all season. However, he was unwilling to make an offer all year that Naz would sign. It’s not surprising. With Gobert and Towns (and their big contracts) playing in front of Naz, it did not look like we could justify paying him starter money, when there were other teams who would. He was simply more useful to other teams, and they’d pay him for it.

But I don’t think after you read Jon Krawcinski’s article that you could come to the conclusion that we would still have Naz on the team if Taylor hadn’t told him to offer more money. In fact, it looked to me that Connelly had also concluded justify a competitive offer, and he had started to plan an alternative. Shake Milton appeared to be a great last minute save with the remaining money under the lux, but Connelly’s goal appeared to be to use the Naz Reid money to get Monte Morris.

Or you could argue with Jon Krawczynski

As contract talks picked up again post-draft, sources familiar with the process told The Athletic, the Timberwolves and Reid were still millions apart. Then a call came from the top of the organization. “Get it done,” owner Glen Taylor instructed his front office.
Source: Jon Krawczynski @ The Athletic

https://theathletic.com/4639975/2023/06/26/timberwolves-naz-reid-nba-free-agency/

[Klomp]

Or you could argue with Jon Krawczynski

As contract talks picked up again post-draft, sources familiar with the process told The Athletic, the Timberwolves and Reid were still millions apart. Then a call came from the top of the organization. “Get it done,” owner Glen Taylor instructed his front office.
Source: Jon Krawczynski @ The Athletic

https://theathletic.com/4639975/2023/06/26/timberwolves-naz-reid-nba-free-agency/

Read more:

Taylor and his partners, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, did not want Reid to get to free agency, where several teams were waiting and could offer the 23-year-old more money or more playing time and a bigger role. The three of them consulted with president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and head coach Chris Finch and concluded that they couldn’t let a player of Reid’s work ethic, skill level and desire to remain in Minnesota leave.

It was both/all of them, not just Taylor.

We should keep in mind that Connelly used to work for an extremely tax-conscious ownership group and Taylor has traditionally not paid the tax, so he was probably under the assumption that the preference was to not tie up over 2/3rds of the cap on centers.

[BlacJacMac]

Or you could argue with Jon Krawczynski

As contract talks picked up again post-draft, sources familiar with the process told The Athletic, the Timberwolves and Reid were still millions apart. Then a call came from the top of the organization. “Get it done,” owner Glen Taylor instructed his front office.
Source: Jon Krawczynski @ The Athletic

https://theathletic.com/4639975/2023/06/26/timberwolves-naz-reid-nba-free-agency/

Read more:

Taylor and his partners, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, did not want Reid to get to free agency, where several teams were waiting and could offer the 23-year-old more money or more playing time and a bigger role. The three of them consulted with president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and head coach Chris Finch and concluded that they couldn’t let a player of Reid’s work ethic, skill level and desire to remain in Minnesota leave.

It was both/all of them, not just Taylor.

We should keep in mind that Connelly used to work for an extremely tax-conscious ownership group and Taylor has traditionally not paid the tax, so he was probably under the assumption that the preference was to not tie up over 2/3rds of the cap on centers.

Yup. Kroenke is worth over 16B and has been historically cheap.

[shrink]

Or you could argue with Jon Krawczynski

As contract talks picked up again post-draft, sources familiar with the process told The Athletic, the Timberwolves and Reid were still millions apart. Then a call came from the top of the organization. “Get it done,” owner Glen Taylor instructed his front office.
Source: Jon Krawczynski @ The Athletic

https://theathletic.com/4639975/2023/06/26/timberwolves-naz-reid-nba-free-agency/

Read more:

Taylor and his partners, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, did not want Reid to get to free agency, where several teams were waiting and could offer the 23-year-old more money or more playing time and a bigger role. The three of them consulted with president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and head coach Chris Finch and concluded that they couldn’t let a player of Reid’s work ethic, skill level and desire to remain in Minnesota leave.

It was both/all of them, not just Taylor.

As always, ARod and Lore are always willing to spend Glen’s money. We’ll see if they are so willing if they become majority owners.

But the bottom line here is that you don’t keep score fairly. When Connelly does something good, you give ARod and Lore credit because it’s “their GM” (which Taylor paid for, so far). Strangely, you don’t give Taylor credit for what his GM does (Ant, Jaden, Finch and NAZ). Anyway, when Connelly is going to make a bad move, and Taylor stops it, then that doesn’t reflect badly on ARod and Lore, PLUS Glen gets no credit!

The bottom line here is that Taylor is the majority owner. People fairly criticize him for the failures of the team in the past. But he is also responsible for the successes of this current team, and has paid for us to be where we are. But many people simply can’t be fair, and apply the same standards to both ownership groups.

[shrink]

We should keep in mind that Connelly used to work for an extremely tax-conscious ownership group and Taylor has traditionally not paid the tax, so he was probably under the assumption that the preference was to not tie up over 2/3rds of the cap on centers.

Yup. Kroenke is worth over 16B and has been historically cheap.

This is the worst part. The pretend story.

Do you really believe your pretend story that “Connelly probably just assumed that the three owners wouldn’t pay for Naz?” Really? Don’t the ARod and Lore defenders say that they were working closely with Connelly? And how much ownership would pay .. what ..none of the three even stopped to discuss it, and it was all a hilarious, yearlong oversight?

Even worse, the total amount of money spent was the same anyway - it wouldn’t matter if the owner is cheap or spendy! Connelly could take the team payroll to was just under the lux regardless - it was Connelly’s thought over the last full year that a bigger extension for Naz shouldn’t be the way to spend it. And that was wrong.

And finally, Kroenke let Connelly give big deals to Jokic, Aaron Gordon, and even a questionable MPJ.

[winforlose]

Or you could argue with Jon Krawczynski

Read more:

Taylor and his partners, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, did not want Reid to get to free agency, where several teams were waiting and could offer the 23-year-old more money or more playing time and a bigger role. The three of them consulted with president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and head coach Chris Finch and concluded that they couldn’t let a player of Reid’s work ethic, skill level and desire to remain in Minnesota leave.

It was both/all of them, not just Taylor.

As always, ARod and Lore are always willing to spend Glen’s money. We’ll see if they are so willing if they become majority owners.

But the bottom line here is that you don’t keep score fairly. When Connelly does something good, you give ARod and Lore credit because it’s “their GM” (which Taylor paid for, so far). Strangely, you don’t give Taylor credit for what his GM does (Ant, Jaden, Finch and NAZ). Anyway, when Connelly is going to make a bad move, and Taylor stops it, then that doesn’t reflect badly on ARod and Lore, PLUS Glen gets no credit!

The bottom line here is that Taylor is the majority owner. People fairly criticize him for the failures of the team in the past. But he is also responsible for the successes of this current team, and has paid for us to be where we are. But many people simply can’t be fair, and apply the same standards to both ownership groups.

I don’t want this to come off wrong or be seen as anything other than a friendly reminder. I just want to advise you to be careful talking about ownership. Dom placed a ban until after the playoffs.

[shrink]

I don’t want this to come off wrong or be seen as anything other than a friendly reminder. I just want to advise you to be careful talking about ownership. Dom placed a ban until after the playoffs.

Yeah, you’re probably right, and I’ll shut this down. I just get shocked though how people can’t give Taylor credit for anything. After a season of lowball offers, Connelly didn’t want to offer Naz enough to keep him. Even if Lore and ARod did, it was Taylor’s decision (and how his money is spent) that allowed us to keep Naz this year, and I think that is indisputable.

Thanks for the reminder. I should just be focused on the playoffs and Naz’ success

[KGdaBom]

Some people will hate hearing this, but Glen Taylor made the right call last summer telling Tim Connelly to “get it done,” when Tim wasn’t willing to raise his offer to give Naz an extension, and he was going to become a free agent.

Naz also deserves a ton of credit. He was only days away from becoming an unrestricted free agent, and several more lucrative offers were rumored from other teams. He chose to come down on his number and play for less, on a team that wasn’t great for his career with big men ahead of him, because he liked the team and appreciated that the Wolves were willing to sign him.

I hate hearing it because you make it sound like the rest of the group didn't want him or weren't willing to sign him to an extension. That's simply not true. Yes, Taylor put his final stamp of approval on it when he couldn't say no, but it wasn't Taylor going against the wishes of everyone else in ownership and basketball operations.

We're a team. We win or lose as a team. No portion of our ownership should be trying to take credit for anything more than anyone else.

[BlacJacMac]

We should keep in mind that Connelly used to work for an extremely tax-conscious ownership group and Taylor has traditionally not paid the tax, so he was probably under the assumption that the preference was to not tie up over 2/3rds of the cap on centers.

Yup. Kroenke is worth over 16B and has been historically cheap.

This is the worst part. The pretend story.

Do you really believe your pretend story that “Connelly probably just assumed that the three owners wouldn’t pay for Naz?” Really? Don’t the ARod and Lore defenders say that they were working closely with Connelly? And how much ownership would pay .. what ..none of the three even stopped to discuss it, and it was all a hilarious, yearlong oversight?

Even worse, the total amount of money spent was the same anyway - it wouldn’t matter if the owner is cheap or spendy! Connelly could take the team payroll to was just under the lux regardless - it was Connelly’s thought over the last full year that a bigger extension for Naz shouldn’t be the way to spend it. And that was wrong.

And finally, Kroenke let Connelly give big deals to Jokic, Aaron Gordon, and even a questionable MPJ.

I did not say any of that.

I was just agreeing that Connelly probably didn't expect we'd pay for Reid until OWNERSHIP (not naming names, or singling out any of the 3) gave him the go-ahead. Something he rarely heard in Denver.

If anything what I posted makes Glen look better than the significantly wealthier Kroenke.

[Klomp]

EDIT: Will PM instead. Naz Reid.

[winforlose]

EDIT: Will PM instead. Naz Reid.

Don’t you mean BIG JELLY!

[Colbinii]

Naz Reid

[winforlose]

TNT crew called Naz a member of the Jelly family

[KGdaBom]

The Naz slam of the Ant miss IMO was one of two plays of the game. The other being the Ant block leading to the KAT breakaway dunk. To me those two carried far more weight than just the two points.

[KGdaBom]

TNT crew called Naz a member of the Jelly family

WTF is the Jelly family?

[winforlose]

TNT crew called Naz a member of the Jelly family

WTF is the Jelly family?

Two words: Big Jelly

[KGdaBom]

TNT crew called Naz a member of the Jelly family

WTF is the Jelly family?

Two words: Big Jelly

Still confused as to what it's about. Is it possibly a reference to when Naz entered the league as somewhat of a dough boy?