Naz Reid on 'NAW and Order': 'I feel like you're in trouble'

Timberwolves defense has become contagious.

May 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) attempts a shot as / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Doberman pinchers? NAW and Order? Those are the analogies and nicknames Timberwolves defensive stars Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are earning for their incredible performances on the national stage in the playoffs.

Minnesota fans who have been watching the team all season are used to watching McDaniels and Alexander-Walker wreak havoc on defensive, but the national audience is finally paying attention thanks to a sweep of the Suns and an early 2-0 series lead on the defending champion Denver Nuggets.

Minnesota had the No. 1 defensive rating in the regular season and they've gotten more dominant in the playoffs. They've been so good that Bill Simmons has called them one of the best defensive teams he's seen in his entire life as an NBA fan. McDaniels and Alexander-Walker, whose trap on Denver's Jamal Murray in Game 2 went viral on social media, are critical components for the Wolves.

Dogs," Naz Reid said when asked on J.J. Redick's The Old Man & The Three podcast about McDaniels and Alexander-Walker. "Those are two guys, especially for Nickeil – Jaden, obviously, he's one of the best defenders in the league – he'll approach the game with a defensive mindset. I think for him, that kind of carved out his role, to be able to stop the All-Star guard on the other side who's at another level. I think he embraces that as well. If you have to deal with those two guys, I feel like you're in trouble. That's the feeling that we get and now we're following suit, so it's just like a domino effect."

Earlier this week, we wrote about LeBron James explaining what he believes gives the Timberwolves an edge over opponents: limitless length.

"You don't look at Mike Conley as a tall guy, but his length, he has a lot of length out there. Obviously Ant Edwards, a lot of length," LeBron explained. "Jaden McDaniels, length. KAT, length. Rudy, length. They come off with Nickeil Alexander-Walker, length. Naz Reid, length. Who else? Kyle Anderson. They continue to barrage you with length, length, length and then guys that also know how to play."

The defensive mentality has been contagious, and it's been spearheaded by Gobert, who earlier this week won his fourth career Defensive Player of the Year award.

"Honestly, I used to hate playing defense. Now, I embrace it. I like playing defense. I like to make the guy in front of me uncomfortable. I want him to feel my presence, I want him to know I'm here," Reid said on Redick's podcast.

"We all have that same edge and I think that came from Rudy. He talks about defense all the time," Reid added. "I used to hate playing defense but now it's something that I know you need to win. You need defense and that's our identity. It's exciting and you get a rush from getting that stop."

The Timberwolves have literally made defense popular again. How far can it take them?