Naz Reid, the 6-9 shooting guard, unleashed
In many ways, the Charlotte Hornets and Naz Reid were the perfect fit. A team that loves to shoot 3's meets a big man who lets 'em fly. A match made in heaven. The Hornets were second in the NBA in 3-point attempt rate last season and have the highest mark in the league so far this season, per Basketball-Reference. Meanwhile, Reid launched over 10 threes per 100 possessions last year, putting him in the company of perimeter gunners like Malik Monk, Austin Reaves, and Devin Vassell.
With Kon Knueppel sidelined to start the season, Reid's shooting gravity has been both needed and on full display. First, there are the plays where he reminds you just how good of a shooter he is at 6-foot-9. He's shooting pull-up 3's with 21 seconds on the shot clock and no offensive rebounders in sight. He's catching and shooting no-dip 3's with a hand in his face. He's jab-stepping into 3's.
But when you dig a little deeper, Charlotte is using Reid more like a guard or wing, putting him in dynamic situations involving movement, screens, and ball handling creation. This has put defenses in some pretty uncomfortable situations. Put a smaller guy on him, and he'll shoot right over him. Put a big guy on him, and suddenly he's navigating unfamiliar territory.
Check out this one, where he practically puts Dort in a blender, gets the switch onto Landale, and hits him with the stepback.
And then there's this one where Zoom action (a pindown screen into a handoff) gets Antetokounmpo off of him and he 180's himself into another 3-point make.
We simply aren't used to seeing a player his size involved in these types of actions.
Charlotte made a big bet trading away LaMelo Ball this offseason, but the return of Knueppel, alongside Brandon Miller and Naz Reid, will give the Hornets the makings of a fun, 3-point-obsessed team that creatively uses its shooting prowess to stretch and scramble defenses.