Name: Willie Reed
Height/weight (per Basketball-Reference.com): 6-10, 220 pounds
Career stats (D-League): 144 G, .584 FG%/.000 3FG%/.569 FT%, 15.3 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 121 offensive rating, 106 defensive rating
2014-15 stats (D-League): 47 G, 33.7 MPG, .601 FG%/.568 FT%, 16.4 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 1.9 BPG, 124 o-rating, 105 d-rating
How he was acquired: Signed by the Nets on a contract on July 9th, 2015. He spent Summer League with the Heat but the Nets swooped in and used $500,000 in guaranteed money to steal Reed away.
2014-15 season recap: Reed actually started the year with the Nets, appearing in one preseason game until he was waived with a week to go until the regular season. Then, he latched on with the D-League’s Iowa Energy, where he posted his gaudy numbers. This led to a Summer League invite from the Heat, who viewed the 6-10 Reed as possible Hassan Whiteside-lite. But, the Nets wanted the Saint Louis University — the alma mater of former NBAer Larry Hughes — product back badly and were able to get him.
Expected role: He’s been on an NBA roster before — with the Kings in 2014 — but Reed has yet to appear in a regular season game so what he can do in a real game situation is still up in air. But, the Nets really love his athleticism –see a trend? — so he could potentially see time initially as a garbage time filler off the bench who could possibly supplant Jerome Jordan as the top backup to Brook Lopez.
Best-case scenario: Reed plays really well in the preseason and earns a roster spot over someone like Jordan and continues to be a rebounding and interior scoring threat for 8-12 minutes a night as a reserve.
Worst-case scenario: He doesn’t show he can keep up with NBA competition during the preseason and the Nets work a way out to send him to the D-League so they can monitor his development and try to bring him back at some point during the season.
General thoughts: The $500,000 guarantee Brooklyn gave to Reed may mean the Nets already have a plan for how they’re going to keep him around, be it on the official roster or not, but it’s not enough of a commitment to ensure he’ll be around for the long haul. Still, Nets fans should root for this guy, as he certainly has a NBA body and the physical traits necessary to be a viable backup option at power forward or center.
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