Player exit review: Willie Reed makes big strides

What we learned

One thing we learned is that Reed fulfills the criteria of the modern-day center. Terrific athleticism, the ability to protect the rim, and an increasingly improving offensive game are just some of the features on display this season.

Undrafted coming out St. Louis, Reed has made his way into the NBA the hard way. He spent three  seasons in the D-League before finally making his way onto a roster with the Brooklyn Nets. So it’s fair to say that Reed is quite familiar to hard work. Coach Spoelstra recently made note of the effort Reed has put into improving his game:

"“…his approach to come in every day to try to get better regardless of what happened in the game. He’s earned a consistent role for the first time in his career where he has really embraced backing up Hassan [Whiteside], giving us a lot of the same qualities, a bundle of energy in those 12 to sometimes 20 minutes a game. He’s really been consistent with his approach to improve and that’s why he’s been one of our most improved players since the first day of camp.”"

In other words, Reed’s overall approach and work ethic are music to Spoelstra’s ears.