Here’s Why Timberwolves Naz Reid is Now Favored for NBA Sixth Man
NBA Sixth Man Award: Monk's Odds Plummet in Wake of Knee Injury
Malik Monk has gone from an overwhelming favorite to a probable underdog for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in barely a month.
The culprit is a sprained right MCL, which is expected to table the Sacramento Kings’ star reserve for the next four to six weeks. While Monk has told teammates he hopes to play again this season, the timeline suggests he won’t be able to return before the NBA playoffs begin on April 20.
If that is indeed the case, Monk will have difficulty keeping pace with Naz Reid and Norman Powell for one of the league’s top awards.
Here is the latest on the race for the NBA Sixth Man Award.
Monk’s Stock Falling
Monk was once in the driver’s seat for this award, climbing as high as -130 in early March. At the time, Monk was averaging a career-high 15.0 points per game while leading all NBA reserves in fourth-quarter scoring and minutes.
Interestingly, Monk’s scoring average has only grown (15.4). However, he is no longer in pole position for NBA Sixth Man, with Minnesota’s Reid taking over as a -110 favorite. As for Monk, he is now a slight underdog at -130, with Los Angeles’ Powell (+1400) and Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis (+4000) the only two other players remaining on the odds board.
It is a tough break for Monk, but one that’s justified given the uncertainty around his health. Monk’s injury came March 29 in a loss to Dallas, a week after the Kings lost starting guard Kevin Huerter to a season-ending labrum tear in his shoulder.
If not for the injury, Monk, who was averaging 26.8 minutes in March, would have gotten more playing time with Huerter out. Thus, it is easy to see why his price has taken a dramatic turn for bettors.
If Not Monk, Then Who Else?
Without Monk, the NBA Sixth Man Award is now Reid’s to lose. The fifth-year center has seen its price skyrocket from +700 to -110 in just the last month.
With Karl-Anthony Towns out with a torn meniscus, the 6-foot-9 Reid has evolved from a key reserve to a fixture in the Timberwolves’ starting lineup alongside Rudy Gobert. Reid scored 25 points on Tuesday against Houston and scored 23 a day later against Toronto. His NBA stats are now up to 13.4 points per game, along with 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
Nine of the 10 previous NBA Sixth Man winners — save for center Montrezl Harrell in 2019-20 — have been playmaking guards, so history is stacked against Reid. But he has performed well enough of late to buck that trend.
Last month, Reid averaged 16.4 points on 44.9% shooting to go with 6.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.
Towns underwent meniscus surgery on March 12 and is scheduled to be re-evaluated during the final week of the regular season, meaning Reid will continue to get the majority of playing time at center for the time being.
That Minnesota (53-23) is battling Denver and Oklahoma City for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference NBA standings only helps increase the exposure around Reid.
Taking all that into account, bettors would be wise to jump at Reid’s -110 price tag for the NBA Sixth Man Award while they still can. Monk is hurt, and Powell and Portis are simply too far down the odds board to make a serious push.
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