Tarris Reed Jr.'s slept-on specialty will make Victor Wembanyama's life much easier

San Antonio Spurs rookie Tarris Reed Jr. may play a surprisingly large role this season, with an underrated skill sure to come in handy. Reed Jr. will slot in as the team's third-string center, but San Antonio could rely on him to play big minutes.

Victor Wembanyama missed 18 games last season while Luke Kornet missed 14, suggesting that Reed Jr. could play more than expected. That may actually be a good thing given what he brings to the table.

He is an incredibly physical player, whether it be rebounding, finishing at the rim, or screen setting. Speaking of screen setting, that skill could be hugely impactful for the Spurs next season.

Tarris Reed Jr.'s screens will make Victor Wembanyama's life much easier

Last year, San Antonio lacked solid screen setters, with Kornet being the only player above average in that regard. That became a big problem in the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.

Wembanyama is a poor screen setter and failed to create enough separation for De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper against the likes of OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges.

I'm not saying that Reed Jr. would have made a difference in the outcome of that series. Instead, having another player who can set hard screens is a necessity for the Spurs to thrive offensively.

The Spurs need more of what Reed Jr. provides

San Antonio needs another player who can lay down hard screens and help create separation for their guards. It's an underrated skill, but something that was desperately missing from last year's team.

In fact, historically, San Antonio has valued big men who set hard screens since it helps their offense free up perimeter players and can force defenses to scramble. They've gotten away from that in recent years, but Reed Jr. fits that archetype perfectly. He could even find early success playing spot minutes with Harper.

He doesn't need any help getting to the basket. Yet having a player such as Reed Jr., who can set a hard pick, could give Harper a huge advantage over his defender. In turn, that could collapse defenses, leaving shooters open while also allowing Reed Jr. to roll to the rim and provide vertical spacing.

It's a simple skill but a useful one that could help other players get easy points. It could even help Wembanyama, who can't set hard screens but needs others who can. Reed Jr. definitely can and will play a small but consistent role this season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow