Tarris Reed Jr.'s interior play against the Suns is just what the Spurs wished for

The San Antonio Spurs' front office should be excited about what they're seeing from Tarris Reed Jr. After a 17-rebound performance against the Utah Jazz, the rookie further solidified himself as a staunch interior threat against the Phoenix Suns. He blocked three shots and snagged nine boards in 21 minutes of play, proving that he's ready to be a consistent rotation piece out of the gate.

The Spurs had a big need this offseason: adding more interior depth to back up Victor Wembanyama. He's dominant on his own, but he can't do everything. He needs as much rebounding and defensive support as possible to avoid overworking himself.

Reed already looks like he can help in that department. His performance against the Suns made it clear that he can be that additional paint force this team needs him to be.

Tarris Reed Jr. was a beast on the interior against the Suns

Reed didn't put up eye-popping scoring numbers in this game- or the entire preseason for that matter- but he's embracing the dirty work. The young center did a great job boxing out opponents to win battles on the glass, and that's no small feat against a Suns team with its own fair share of size and physicality.

But there was a late-third-quarter sequence that got me out of my seat. Reed rejected a CJ Huntley layup attempt, then followed that up on the Spurs' next defensive possession with an emphatic block on Koa Peat. Kennedy Chandler tried to score over the big fella a few plays later, only to meet the same fate.

How much did this team need that in the playoffs? A strong backup center who can challenge opponents at the rim in Wemby's absence would have made all the difference. Not to discredit Luke Kornet, but he struggled to provide consistent interior resistance during his minutes on the floor. From what we're seeing in the preseason, Reed looks like a potential solution to that problem.

Reed is already showing off the right mentality

After Reed's monster game against the Jazz earlier this week, he made it clear that he's not looking to slow down and rest on his laurels.

"I've just got to keep my foot on the gas," he told Tom Orsborn of San Antonio Express-News. "Being even more persistent, even more tenacious".

This is the perfect mindset for a rookie center. Not getting caught up in past successes and continuing to embrace the dirty work will be important for his first-year performance and the Spurs' overall success this season. They need him to bring that rough n' tough interior play every single time his number gets called.

Are there still areas for Reed to improve? Sure; he's far from perfect, and we are still in the preseason. But the big fella is already doing everything he needs to earn a permanent spot in the Spurs' rotation.

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