Tarris Reed Jr. is already making the Spurs look absolutely genius

San Antonio is fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals with one of the youngest rosters to ever make it that deep into the postseason. The players already on the team will inevitably get better, and that could very well be enough for a sustained run of dominance in the league. But the Spurs moved up in the draft to grab Tarris Reed Jr. instead of resting on their laurels, and it's going to pay off significantly.

Reed has played a few summer league games in a silver and black uniform now. The production doesn't count toward the regular season, but that doesn't mean we disregard his demeanor and motor. The 26th overall pick got to work early in his last performance, showing all the things Spurs fans want to see from a 260-pound center.

As Tom Petrini said in his post, the kid has muscles on muscles. If he were to play the next Batman, the training regimen to get his body right wouldn't take very much. He's more than halfway there already, and he used it to abuse the Hawks' summer league squad early. Now, picture what it will look like with Mitch Johnson at the helm.

Reed will be the Spurs' trump card in physical games

Looking at Reed's frame, he has the potential to be one of the strongest players in the NBA. He's already using his mass to bully opponents in the lane. Working with professional trainers and taking his workouts seriously will make him a headache to deal with, as he can do everything a traditional big man can with athleticism.

This isn't a slow-footed center that teams can run circles around. He'll be the menace they try desperately to keep off the glass after their best efforts to stop Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper from scoring on the initial shot. None of it will be easy.

San Antonio had the sixth-highest field goal percentage in the league last season, but they were only 14th in offensive rebounding, despite coming in second in total rebounding. That's because most of the players on the floor are wings or guards, and Wembanyama spends many offensive possessions on the outside.

That's not where Reed will be, though. And opponents will hate him for causing chaos on the interior.

The Spurs didn't need to make an aggressive play in the draft after the year they just had. The future was already lining up to be theirs for the taking. Yet they made a play for Tarris Reed Jr. anyway. Most eyes will be on AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer, but those were the obvious picks. Reed wasn't, but he may still end up being the biggest steal of summer 2026.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow