Getty Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul Reed during a NBA Summer League game on August 9.
The Philadelphia 76ers lost their second NBA Summer League game on 2021 Sunday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but all everybody could talk about afterwards was the incredible performance of Sixers forward Paul Reed.
In the 99-96 overtime loss to the Wolves, Reed had arguably the best game of any player on any team this summer, and some are calling his stat line one of the best in the nearly 20-year history of the Summer League. Here are his numbers:
Paul Reed’s (@Bball_paul) final line tonight at Summer League:
27 PTS / 20 REB / 4 AST / 4 STL / 4 BLK
Read it again.
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According to ESPN Stats & Info, Paul is only the fifth player in Summer League history to have at least 20 rebounds in a contest and is just the second ever to post a 20-20 game. In 2015, then-undrafted free agent Alan Williams racked up 22 points and 20 rebounds in a summer tilt against the Sixers while playing with the Houston Rockets.
“BBall Paul” registered the epic numbers in 34 minutes of action on Sunday, going an absurd 11-for-17 from the field – including 2-for-3 on three-pointers – and nailing all three of his free throw attempts. He also put in a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double in Saturday’s loss to the Boston Celtics.
Twitter Went Bonkers Over ‘BBall Paul’s’ Performance
GettyPhiladelphia 76ers forward Paul Reed during a playoff game in May.
If Sunday night had been a springtime playoff game, or possibly even a regular season battle, Reed’s outburst probably would have been overshadowed by the end result of a loss. While Philly fans shouldn’t expect any 20-20 games from Reed in the upcoming NBA season – though wilder things have happened – Sixers nation was able to bask in the glory of his individual effort deep into the night.
76ers PAUL REED had one of the best Summer League stat lines ever:
27 PTS
20 REB
4 AST
4 STL
4 BLK
2 3PT
64% FG
66% 3PT
100% FT
20-20 game for @Bball_paul.
Despite having a game for the ages, the Sixers’ 58th overall selection from the 2020 draft sees room for personal improvement.
Paul Reed (27 pts, 20 reb) says he’s come up short on some of his Summer League goals. Gives himself a ‘B’, and says there’s lots of room to improve:
“I had a couple double-doubles. That’s what I’m supposed to do. I give myself a ‘B.'”
At intermission of Sunday’s thriller, Sixers team reporter Lauren Rosen also picked up this gem of a quote from Reed, regarding what his pre-game preparation looked like.
Paul Reed (16 pts, 12 reb, 3 stl, 3 blk) at halftime, on what fueled him this morning:
“I ate some Denny’s – Denny’s breakfast.”
The Sixers will play their fifth and final Summer League game at 3:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday against the Utah Jazz.
What Can Fans Expect From Reed in His Second Season?
GettyPhiladelphia 76ers forward Paul Reed during a NBA Summer League on August 9.
As it currently stands on the Sixers’ roster, Reed has some leapfrogging to do in order to get more playing time once the regular season begins. Obviously, loads can change between now and the start of the 2021-2022 campaign, but for now, the Sixers would roll out the same starting five they ended with last season.
A Ben Simmons trade would likely involve a whole package of pieces, so things could get shuffled up in a hurry and Reed could slide up the depth chart. In his rookie season, he played in 26 NBA games, averaging 3.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in just 6.8 minutes per contest.
In 15 games with the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats however, Reed dominated to the tune of 22.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.6 blocks per contest. He was named the League MVP and Rookie of the Year, while being named to the All-Defensive First Team as well.
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