Naz Reid’s preseason struggles reveal the challenge of starting over in Charlotte

Ethan Kinney of Dunking with Wolves highlights that former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Naz Reid has endured an inefficient preseason start with the Charlotte Hornets. After being acquired in a trade for LaMelo Ball, Reid has taken on a full-time starting role in Charlotte. Across his first three preseason appearances, Reid has averaged 13.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 37.8 percent from the field.

Kinney argues that Reid's early shooting slump from 3-point range, at 27.8 percent on six attempts per game, raises concerns given Charlotte's floor spacing. While noting that the preseason sample size is small and it is too early to overreact, the writer points to Reid's historical streakiness and warns that these growing pains could linger into the regular season as he adjusts to a larger offensive burden.