Tarris Reed Jr. won't wait long before the NBA tests him in a major way

Tarris Reed Jr. may have been the second big man the Spurs took in the 2026 NBA Draft, but he'll be the first to get his welcome-to-the-league moment. With Jayden Quaintance sidelined for at least the first half of the season, Reed will be thrown into the fire fairly early, granted he shows he's ready in training camp and preseason.

Oklahoma City and Houston are first and second on San Antonio's opening schedule. Those are a couple of the NBA's biggest teams, giving Reed no time to ease into his new job in the big leagues. But the Spurs don't need him to have big numbers. He just needs to see if he can survive the physicality and pace at the pro level. Everything else will come with time.

OKC will test Reed's size and discipline

Right out of the gate, Tarris may be tasked with battling Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren. The Thunder have a strong frontcourt rotation that only got deeper this offseason after drafting Aday Mara and with Thomas Sorber's expected return from injury. It will be a good early test for the rookie out of UConn, but it certainly won't be easy.

Still, following the game plan and playing with effort will be key. Reed has to rebound, protect the rim, and avoid silly fouls. If he can do that, he'll be on his way to a solid outing in his first NBA game.

The Thunder have good ball movement, but everything starts with the 2x MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. If they share the floor, expect to see SGA put Tarris in the pick-and-roll. OKC will test the rook's ability to guard in space. It will be a tremendous challenge for him, and it won't get much easier.

Houston will make him deal with even more physicality

The Rockets are built around their size, strength, physicality, and aggressive perimeter defense. They embody the personality of their coach and former Spurs forward, Ime Udoka. Every time these teams play, it's a physical soiree.

Alperen Sengun is always throwing his large body around, flailing all over the place, and Steven Adams just might be the strongest man in the NBA. Keeping him off the glass will be a huge priority, and it takes a team effort to do it. Throw in Clint Capela and Jabari Smith Jr., and you have a pretty deep group of bigs.

Can Reed remain effective in a battle against bigger bodies? The Rockets will pressure the ball on the wing, so will Tarris set strong screens, finish around the basket, and show sound decision-making when asked to handle the ball? The Spurs will need those things from him if he's going to be on the floor.

These games won't make or break Reed's season, but they're great early tests for the former Huskey. Back-to-back rivalry games against playoff teams will give him a chance to see what top-tier competition looks like quickly. He just needs to be ready for it, because it's pretty intense.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow