Paul Reed in the second round at the Philadelphia 76ers came into the binoculars with a slice on his shoulder. As former DePaul power waited for the 58th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to make a name for himself, the 21-year-old prospect was ready to prove he’s better than the scouts’ forecasts .
With the Sixers, Reed came to a two-way deal. At this point, Reed is down in Orlando, Florida, with a Sixers’ G League actor, the Delaware Blue Coats, taking part in the bubble.
So far this season, the Blue Coats are in tears, and Paul Reed has a lot to do with that. Through five games, Delaware remains the final team without a loss in the bubble. On a personal level, Paul Reed has accounted for 24 points-per-game, 13 rebounds-per-game, and 1.4 blocks-per-game in an average of 33 minutes of action.
Being in the top three in both points and rebounds-per-game, Reed has earned himself the title of G League Player of the Week during his first week of action. On Wednesday night, while the Sixers were aiming for a matchup against the Houston Rockets, Doc Rivers, the Sixers head coach, attacked the young rookie.
“He’s just a big kid. Everyone’s happy for him,” Rivers said before Wednesday’s game. “You know, he’s a fragile player. Talking to Connor (Johnson), he can’t tell you how he’s scoring – he’s just scoring. He’s just like one of those guys at his has a nose for the ball, plays really hard, and is also what we call a sun-kissed baby.He just walks in the room, and everyone is happy. you have enough of those people. “
Reed will soon be back in the building with the Sixers as the Blue Coats season weaves in sometime next month. At this point, however, the rookie will continue to build on his game at G League level in the hope that his improvements will shine bright enough to continue to capture the attention of the main roster.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_