Naz Reid made his formal Charlotte Hornets debut in an electrifying manner on Wed., Oct. 21. Reid took over against the Brooklyn Nets, ensuring that Charlotte would open their season with a win and his All-Star campaign would get off to a strong start.
In the process, Reid confirmed what many have long speculated: He should've made the jump from the second unit to the starting lineup many years ago.
Reid, 27, spent seven seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves before a 2026 offseason trade landed him in Charlotte. The Hornets quickly committed to him as a starting big, and in his first game with the team, he led the new-look roster to a 110-103 victory over the Nets.
Reid did so by posting 20 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, and two offensive boards in a showing that revealed exactly why Charlotte took a chance on him.
Moussa Diabate brought the energy and Brandon Miller started hot, but Charlotte ultimately needed a shot creator to take over. Reid did exactly that by working both with and without the ball, and generating offense for himself and his teammates.
In the process, Reid made an early statement and offered yet another example of how clear it is that he's a starting-caliber player.
Naz Reid flirts with a triple-double and leads Hornets to win in debut
Reid won the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year award and played a pivotal role in Minnesota making a pair of journeys to the Conference Finals. Between 2023-24 and 2025-26, he accumulated averages of 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 offensive boards, 0.9 blocks, and 0.8 steals in 25.9 minutes per game.
Those numbers translated to starting-caliber figures of 19.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 offensive boards, 2.7 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.1 steals per 36 minutes.
Despite the statistical and general quality he provided, Reid started just 34 of a possible 238 games during that time. He excelled on both ends of the floor, complementing the likes of Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Karl-Anthony Towns by adapting his game to theirs.
In Charlotte, however, it appears as though he'll have the flexibility to play the role that suits him and show how far his skill set truly reaches.
The Hornets certainly benefited from his presence in his debut—in many of the areas one could've expected them to. For instance, Charlotte has a tendency to rely a bit too heavily on long jumpers, while Reid can get into the midrange and attack the basket with volume. That was on display in a big win over Brooklyn.
It's a new era in Charlotte with LaMelo Ball no longer on the team, but Reid is proving that he's ready for the starting role he should've been given many years ago.
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