Getty Paul Reed and Jarrett Allen battle in the paint during a Sixers-Cavaliers preseason game.
The backup center competition is heating up after two preseason games. Well, at least for one player. Paul Reed appears to be running away with the job to be Joel Embiid’s primary minutes’ eater.
The 23-year-old affectionately known as Bball Paul won over the fan base after the Paul Reed Victory Tour touched down in the playoffs. His gritty play has turned him into a fan-favorite big man, with some … Draymond Green vibes?
Philadephia 76ers assistant coach Dave Joerger mentioned Reed and Green in the same breath following Wednesday night’s 113-112 win over Cleveland. He wasn’t necessarily comparing the two players – let’s not go there or do that, not yet — but there was a point to be made.
“Another one of the guys that is one of the harder workers on our team, all summer, he wears out entire staffs,” Joerger said of Reed. “He wants to be in there all the time. It’s fantastic. It’s the good kind of work. And we’ve encouraged him to [do that]. The ball is going to come and find guys like Paul Reed.”
Reed can fill up the stat sheet in a hurry, plus he makes quick decisions in the paint. He knows when to attack the rim or pass to open teammates. He collects steals and blocks at will. Yes, there is some Draymond in his game. And Reed is three inches taller at 6-foot-9.
“And then to quickly make a decision, a lot like Draymond Green — and then boom, you get it onto the next one, you get a hit, you get to the rim, and then you always just keep the defense on the run and you can be a facilitator that way,” Joerger said of Reed. “And I think he’s really latched on to that. And he did a great job last week in camp of doing that and right now there’s a lot that comes with that. And the game is coming really fast for him still so it’ll slow down as he gets the reps.”
#DidYouKnowFlow: #Sixers backup center Paul Reed aka @Bball_paul led the #NBA last night with four steals. His seven steals total in two games are the most in the league this preseason.
Montrezl Harrell Forming Dynamic Duo with Reed
Reed is technically competing against Montrezl Harrell for the backup center job. He was the first big man off the bench against Cleveland, which caused many to assume he has the inside track. Maybe. Maybe not. The final box score showed a pretty even time split for them: Reed went 18 minutes (5 points, 6 rebounds, +6); Harrell saw 16 minutes (13 points, 3 rebounds, +1).
From Dave Joerger:
-Figuring out rotation a “work in progress” overall. Sixers have plenty more they’d like to evaluate.
-Paul Reed’s work ethic “wears out coaching staffs.” Sixers wants him focusing on being quick, decisive offensively (compared to Draymond Green’s style).
What the numbers don’t show is how much energy and effort those two guys flashed. If they can stay out of foul trouble, the Sixers will undoubtedly find ways to get them both on the court. Reed and Harrell could wind up being the unsung heroes of the 2022-23 campaign, allowing Embiid to rest for long stretches either by design or due to injury. And neither one of them is selfish.
“Montrezl is a great player. He’s going to come in and help us win some games,” Reed said at Sixers Media Day. “He’s a great addition to the team. I’m just glad we got some extra guys on the team that’s going to help us win games. But my mentality stays the same, I’m still the same dude that’s going to go out there and play extremely hard and keep working on what I need to get better at.”
Sixers’ Offense Not Always ‘Beautiful & Pretty’
The Sixers walked out of Wells Fargo Center with a win in their second preseason game, thanks in large part to the backups and reserves. Shake Milton scored 12 points, with D’Anthony Melton adding 11 (plus the Big Energy Chain). Harrell finished with 13 points. The starting five looked a little rusty, but it was their first time suiting up together in a non-training camp environment.
“Wasn’t always beautiful and pretty. Played a lot of guys, everybody who played contributed,” Joerger said. “Again, I thought there were times where the offense was a bit ugly with either shots or turnovers or lack of a little bit of execution, but nobody put their heads down. We will get better. We’re definitely a work in progress. Very proud of the guys.”
Ideal Sixers possession here. Harden draws 2 defenders, leaving Embiid open. Garland rotates off Maxey and onto Embiid. Harden lofts a skip pass to Maxey and Tucker lights up the helping LeVert with a rugged pin-in screen.
This is the outline of how their offense can be elite.