‘Can’t Sleep on Them’: Timberwolves Center Gives OKC Thunder Respect

Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid gave lots of praise to the Oklahoma City Thunder, calling them a fun team that can't be slept on.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have drastically shifted the landscape of the Western Conference by climbing from a Play-In position last season to a current No. 2 seed.

But the team ahead of it is also going through its own resurgence. 

That team would be the Minnesota Timberwolves, currently leading the West with a 24-9 record. Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns are leading the Timberwolves in their pursuit to the top of the NBA, but they are also surrounded by plenty of quality pieces in the lineup, including center Naz Reid.

Reid is averaging 12.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in his fifth year in the league, serving as the Timberwolves sixth man behind Rudy Gobert at the center position. He is a major player in Minnesota's early season success, and had plenty to say about the Thunder on Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson's recent blog:

Oklahoma City Thunder are a team you can’t sleep on says Timberwolves big man Naz Reid.

“I try to watch as many teams as possible. I watch OKC. I’m good friends with Chet Holmgren and it’s fun to see how unique they are and how young they are but they get the job done, you… https://t.co/gEbrAIDcn2 pic.twitter.com/as74DE54ea

— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) January 4, 2024

"I try to watch as many teams as possible. I watch OKC. I'm good friends with Chet Holmgren and it's fun to see how unique they are and how young they are but they get the job done, you know? That's a team that you really can't sleep on. I think at one point they were second in the West, but that's a team that's gonna be good," Reid said.

Oklahoma City has reclaimed that No. 2 position after defeating the Boston Celtics earlier in the week, and is only one game behind Minnesota's top spot. Even with its youth and inexperience, the Thunder are already amongst the NBA's best, a much sooner jump than many expected. 

It's true that the Thunder isn't a team that opponents can sleep on and rest against, unlike previous seasons since the rebuild began. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP candidate and a top 10 player in the league, Chet Holmgren is a Rookie of the Year frontrunner and Jalen Williams is asserting himself in the "big three."

That's not to mention the countless talented pieces surrounding the rest of the roster, including Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort and Cason Wallace. 

Minnesota and Oklahoma City have split both games they've played against each other this season, with the next matchup coming on Jan. 20. By then they could still be in a similar position in the standings, making for a crucial game to decide who is at the top.

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