The San Antonio Spurs beat the Sacramento Kings 130-103. Rookie center Tarris Reed Jr. made the most of his five minutes against the Kings. Reed recorded four points and five rebounds in just 4:39 and made both of his field goal attempts. His only minutes came at the end in garbage time with the game out of reach, but Reed showed something in those minutes.
Spurs Center Luke Kornet’s Struggles
Luke Kornet played 16:35 against Sacramento and gave them zero points and just four points for someone who is supposed to come in the game and let Victor Wembanyama get some rest; that isn’t enough production. Kornet played almost 17 minutes and didn’t score a single point. If the Spurs had lost, this would be something that would be heavily talked about.
Reed gave more in only five minutes of playing time. He’s big, athletic, and strong; when he was grabbing rebounds, opposing players were bouncing off of him. He is giving San Antonio a reason to give him Kornet’s minutes. He’s the type of big that would thrive by playing with these guards on the Spurs. He could be a valuable piece to San Antonio this season given the chance.
What Reeds Production Could Look Like with More Minutes
He was able to get five rebounds in less than five minutes. If he were given another five or eight minutes, he might have had 10-13 rebounds. This is something that the Spurs have needed when Wembanyama is getting his rest. It’s important to understand that Reed did this in garbage time. In the preseason, he led the NBA in rebounding. That’s big; his garbage-time production should be enough to earn him actual minutes.
The Spurs like Kornet’s experience, and Reed still has to prove he can defend and learn the system. However, in the few minutes he has gotten in the last couple of games, he has looked really good and ready. He is a rebounding machine and a lob threat. If he got minutes with the Spurs’ guards, he would have opportunities to get a lot of lobs at the rim.
Should we Expect Reed to Have More Minutes Next Game
I wouldn’t automatically assume he’ll be in the game a lot. Don’t be surprised if you do either, though. Mitch Johnson has seen how good Reed has been and may want to experiment. Johnson might want to see what Reed looks like with actual minutes and throw him out there. Spurs fans all over are probably waiting for Reed to get more minutes after seeing how he’s looked.
After the performance Kornet gave in a blowout win, Reed may deserve his shot. He may get his chance in one of the upcoming games. His time is coming sooner rather than later; everybody is seeing how he is playing in limited minutes.
Reed was a bright spot at the end of a blowout win for the Spurs. He showed dominance on the glass, getting nearly every rebound. He was creating second-chance opportunities with offensive rebounds. Reed even made a hook shot, showing a soft touch. His time will come soon to show that he should be Wembanyama’s backup.
Should the Spurs Give Tarris Reed Jr. More Minutes?