NAZ REID, THE TURKISH TERMINATOR, AND THE NBA'S WEIRDEST POWER SHIFT =================================================================== Published: February 22, 2025 Author: Daniel Conderman Context: Recovered Conderman.Group basketball commentary Original URL: https://conderman.group/2025/02/naz-reid-the-turkish-terminator-and-the-nbas-weirdest-power-shift/ Naz Reid is trending, but that's only half the story. While Wolves fans are waking up to the reality that their backup-turned-cornerstone is essential, the Rockets' Alperen Şengün is out here getting nicknamed by Shaq, throwing down dunks in the All-Star Game, and apparently rewriting history for Turkish basketball. Oh, and somewhere in this mix, Jimmy Butler is randomly resurrecting the Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga is crawling out of his injury hiatus, and Drake is beefing with DeMar DeRozan because...reasons. This isn't just an article about Naz Reid anymore. This is the NBA's strangest power shift in real-time. THE WOLVES' NEW BIG THREE... OR FOUR? ------------------------------------- Naz Reid should be untouchable. That's what everyone is saying now after he obliterated the Thunder with a 27-14-7 masterpiece that made people ask, "Wait, is this dude the best player on the floor?" The answer: Maybe. Minnesota has had a revolving door of Big Threes, but the real formula might be Edwards, Gobert, and Reid -- with Şengün somehow lurking in the shadows, waiting for the inevitable Wolves-Rockets playoff collision. Şengün, fresh off being dubbed "The Turkish Terminator" by Shaq, is having a breakout season in Houston. He's averaging 18.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, making people ask the question "Why didn't anyone see this coming?" Maybe because the NBA has spent too long forcing us to care about Karl-Anthony Towns' rollercoaster of emotions instead. NBA'S WEIRDEST RIVALRIES: WOLVES VS. ROCKETS? --------------------------------------------- Look, Timberwolves-Rockets isn't supposed to be a thing. It was never meant to be a thing. But here we are, with Naz Reid and Alperen Sengun representing the most chaotically fun big men in the league, throwing down dunks and demanding respect. And, of course, this Friday, Houston and Minnesota clash in a nationally televised game. If Reid outshines Şengün, does Shaq get forced to change his nickname? If Şengün dominates, does Minnesota have to officially acknowledge that the Rockets own their soul? These are the real questions. MEANWHILE, IN GOLDEN STATE... ----------------------------- Jimmy Butler is fixing the Warriors. Somehow. The trade deadline move that felt like a panic button has actually worked. Golden State is 3-1 since the deal, and now Jonathan Kuminga is inching closer to a return after missing 23 games with an ankle sprain. If Butler gets Kuminga back in the mix and suddenly the Warriors look like contenders again... are we prepared for another Draymond Green podcast episode where he takes credit for all of it? AND FINALLY, DRAKE VS. DEMAR DEROZAN: THE BEEF NOBODY ASKED FOR -------------------------------------------------------------- Because the NBA can never be too weird, Drake is still beefing with Sacramento Kings star DeMar DeRozan. It all started when DeRozan backed Kendrick Lamar in the Great Rap Civil War of 2024, and it escalated when Drake publicly trashed the idea of the Raptors retiring DeRozan's jersey. The Kings' social media team, always ready for chaos, trolled Drake by posting a video of the tossed jersey being caught by a "happy Kings fan." This is where we're at in NBA history: teams are waging social media wars over their star's rap affiliations. THE NBA'S CHAOTIC FUTURE ------------------------ So what do we take from this? That Naz Reid and Alperen Şengün are leading a new era of weirdly dominant big men? That Jimmy Butler might actually fix the Warriors? That Drake is too deep in his feelings about DeRozan? Yes. All of it. The NBA doesn't make sense anymore, and we should embrace it. One thing's for sure: The Wolves-Rockets game on Friday just got a whole lot more interesting.