Naz Reid left LSU Basketball after one season with his eyes on the NBA Draft. What does the physical freak bring to the table as a pro?
LSU Basketball had quite the tumultuous 2018-19 season, it began in the summer with the unexpected death of Wayde Sims, then came the expectations attached to a top recruiting class. During the season, those expectations were realized as the Tigers won the SEC regular-season title, but that title came with its own turmoil, head coach Will Wade found himself engulfed in the FBI’s recruiting scandal, having been caught on tape discussing a pay-for-play plan for players.
On the floor, the Tigers continued to excel despite it all. Despite being upset by Florida in the SEC quarterfinals, they reached the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament and won 28 games. With that success, a large portion of the Tigers’ contributors decided to test the waters of the NBA draft. Luckily for Wade and LSU, Skylar Mays, Marlon Taylor, Emmitt Williams, and Javonte Smart all decided to return to Baton Rouge.
The two players that decided to stay in the draft were always expected to do so, guard Tremont Waters and the forward who already looks the part of an NBA forward, Naz Reid.
Reid departs LSU after just one season but the 6-9 forward averaged 13.6 points and a team-leading 7.2 rebounds per game. While those numbers might not be eye-popping for a player declaring for the draft, but Reid showed glimpses of a player that can be more of a force, scoring at least 25 points three times, including 26 points and 14 rebounds in that SEC Tournament loss to Florida.
While he may look the part, Reid has other question marks as he heads to the NBA, here is a look at the LSU forward.