Tarris Reed Jr. made a strong early impression in the San Antonio Spurs preseason. The rookie center averaged 9 rebounds in 17 minutes per game and finished with 15 offensive boards, production that stands out even before the regular season begins.
That kind of rebounding is the reason Reed Jr. has drawn attention. A player who can consistently turn short minutes into second-chance opportunities gives a team a useful interior presence, especially when those minutes come behind Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet. Right now, Reed Jr. is third in the rotation, but his preseason work showed he can make a case for a larger role if the opportunity opens up.
A familiar Spurs rebounding story
The Spurs have seen this before. In the early 2010s, DeJuan Blair spent four seasons with the franchise and built a reputation as a productive rebounder. During his rookie season, Blair grabbed 20 boards twice, a reminder of how quickly a Spurs big man can earn attention when he controls the glass.
Reed Jr. is not being compared to Blair as a finished player, but as a useful historical parallel for a second-round rebounder who immediately made his presence felt. About two seasons later, Blair was replaced in the rotation by Tiago Splitter and Boris Diaw, which shows how quickly the Spurs have shifted big-man roles when the roster and matchups demanded it.
What it means for San Antonio
Last season, the Spurs ranked 15th in offensive rebounding and fifth in offensive rating. If Reed Jr. can carry even part of his preseason rebounding into regular-season minutes, he could help a team that already showed some offensive efficiency but could still use more consistent work on the boards.
For now, the headline is simple: Reed Jr. was productive in the preseason, and the numbers backed it up. Whether he stays in that third-center role or pushes for more will depend on how often the Spurs need a rebounder who can change possessions quickly.
