Tarris Reed Jr. isn’t walking into the usual rookie situation in San Antonio. While plenty of first-year players spend their early months buried on the bench, the Spurs rookie already has a path to real minutes because of what he can bring right now.
That case starts with the preseason. Reed Jr. put up 9.2 rebounds in just 17 minutes per game, a strong sign that he can contribute immediately.
He also showed a clear specialty: on the offensive glass, he averaged three offensive boards in those 17 minutes. For a team that needs reliable center depth, that matters.
His age gives him another edge. Reed Jr. is already 23, which puts him ahead of the usual rookie curve in terms of experience.
And unlike many late first-round or early second-round picks, he landed in a spot where the team is trying to win. That matters too.
He’s not being asked to survive on a bad roster; he’s joining a contender.
San Antonio’s need at center is easy to see. Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet missed a combined 28 games last season, and the Spurs could have used a dependable third option behind them. Reed Jr. was brought in on draft night, and the fit is obvious: give him fill-in minutes, ask him to set hard screens, crash the offensive glass, and finish through contact at the rim.
There’s a long-term wrinkle here, too. Jayden Quaintance is viewed as the Spurs’ future center option, while Reed Jr. is the bridge until he can get healthy. But Reed Jr. may end up being more than a temporary fix.
He’s already shown he can play, and San Antonio will likely need him to do that this season depending on the health of its other centers. For a rookie class full of players trying to fight their way into the rotation, Reed Jr. has a different kind of opening: a chance to carve out a steady role on a contender. Getting him for what amounted to two second-round picks could end up looking like a steal.
In Other News...
Spurs First Win May Have Changed Wemby's Backup Picture
The Spurs first win of the season came with a little more than relief, because it also gave the staff a fresh look at who might soak up minutes behind Victor Wembanyama. In the 122-106 victory over Dallas, Wembanyama did most of the heavy lifting with 23 points, seven rebounds and five steals, attacking the paint with the kind of force San Antonio has wanted to see more often.
Lost in the final score was the debut of Tarris Reed, who got into the game for six minutes and managed two points and three rebounds. It was a small sample, but the opportunity itself mattered, especially for a team still sorting out the center rotation around Wembanyama and trying to find a reliable backup option who can hold the fort when he sits. [Read more 🡒]
Stephon Castle May Have Given Spurs Lineup Exactly What It Needed
The Spurs finally got into the win column with a 122-106 result over the Mavericks, and Stephon Castle was a big reason the night looked so much smoother. He scored 19 points, knocked down three triples and handed out eight assists, a mix of shot-making and playmaking that gave San Antonio a more dynamic feel on offense.
Castles versatility stood out because it helped the Spurs keep Dallas from settling in defensively and gave the group a cleaner rhythm throughout the game. For a team still sorting out its best combinations early in the season, that kind of two-way offensive blend can be the difference between looking stuck and looking like a lineup worth sticking with. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Sees The Spurs Rough Start Very Differently Right Now
Victor Wembanyama is looking at the Spurs slow start through a different lens than the one usually applied to an 0-and-1 team. He said he is not frustrated by the early results, pointing instead to the reality that San Antonio had less preparation time than most of the league after a late playoff exit. That context matters for a roster still trying to find its footing while other teams have had more time to reset, drill habits and sort out rotations.
San Antonio did manage to get its first win of the season against Dallas, but the performance did not leave the coaching staff feeling settled. Mitch Johnson made clear he was not pleased with the defensive effort even in victory, and the Spurs remain one of the few teams, along with the Knicks, that finished their previous season in mid-June. For now, the bigger question is whether that shortened turnaround is a useful explanation or just the backdrop for a team that still has work to do. [Read more 🡒]