Tarris Reed Jr.'s interior skill set can create deadly duo with Victor Wembanyama

The preseason has given us an early look at some of the San Antonio Spurs' rookies, and Tarris Reed Jr. has taken advantage of his opportunities on this stage. The young center is putting his unique blend of physicality and touch on display, along with a knack for operating in the middle of the floor. This is a set of skills that could make him a perfect fit alongside Victor Wembanyama on the court.

Mitch Johnson has already shown a willingness to throw double-big lineups at opponents, pairing Wemby and Luke Kornet last season. They had some good moments together, using their size to stifle opponents defensively while working in tandem on the other side of the floor.

But the prospect of Reed and Wembanyama together is a bit more intriguing. The rookie center can shine in some of the areas where Kornet struggles, creating an opportunity for Mitch Johnson to deploy a dangerous one-two punch that could dominate in their minutes.

Reed and Wemby's skill sets are the perfect mix

At 7'4", Wembanyama is one of the most skilled centers in the NBA. He has a great handle for a player his size, underrated passing chops, and the ability to dominate the interior and stretch the floor.

While Reed doesn't have those same video-game-like qualities as his teammate, he still plays an effective game. The rookie is a great screener who can get teammates open on or off the ball. He's also a bruiser down low, using his large frame to bully opponents and snag rebounds or tack on paint points.

Sure, there's a stark difference in skill sets and style of play between these two, but that contrast could actually make them a competitive duo. Wemby's floor spacing and Reed's interior dominance could create high-low opportunities, which is a perfect way for a pair of bigs to share the court without clogging the paint.

They can also connect in the short roll, with Reed screening ball handlers, getting a catch in the middle, and lobbing to Wemby as he creeps behind his defender in the dunker's spot.

More creatively, we could see situations where The Alien puts his own passing chops to use. On some possessions, he can bring the ball up court and orchestrate high pick-and-rolls with Reed, slipping the ball between opponents to find his young counterpart barreling towards the paint.

Tarris Reed Jr. can take away difficult matchups for Wemby

While he's just a rookie, Reed has a chance to be one of the most hard-nosed players on this Spurs team. He'll win rebounding battles against opponents, and his intimidating presence in the paint will help him get layups or force defenders to foul him.

If the Spurs run that double-big lineup, coaches will have no choice but to put their more physical players on the rookie center to keep him from getting offensive boards or interior buckets. This makes life easier for Wemby, who's traditionally struggled to score against stronger defenders.

All summer long, one of the biggest questions for this team was how they were going to make the game simpler for their superstar. Well, Tarris Reed Jr. helps them answer that. Sharing the court with Wemby optimizes both of their skill sets.

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