The 2021 summer league is over for the Philadelphia 76ers. They finished 3-2 and could have finished 4-1 if not for a miraculous comeback by the Minnesota Timberwolves. They also saw noticeable improvement from their main contributors.
While Tyrese Maxey stole the show in its first two games, Philadelphia received significant contributions from Paul Reed, who sparked hope he can be a rotation player in this league.
Reed recorded only the second 20-20 game in summer league history. He made big strides on both ends of the floor, and he earned a spot on the All-Summer League second team. Now, he is receiving some love on another team.
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie put together his “too good for summer league” team and Reed landed a spot on the squad as a reserve:
I needed another big on the team, so I went with the man known as B-Ball Paul. I’ll just be honest: I have no idea what to do with him moving forward as a player. He’s really athletic and long, plus we now have a genuine track record of sub-NBA-level production between what he’s done at the G League and summer league levels. He averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds per game in the G League bubble, and won the G League MVP award this past year
It’s clear Reed is better than the summer league/G League level given his performances at each event. Can he translate that into NBA minutes next season and going forward? That’s the question, given just how unique and weird-looking his game is. I’m not a worshipper at the altar of B-Ball Paul like my colleague John Hollinger is, but I think I’m at the point where I’m buying him going forward as a legitimate NBA rotation player. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him give the Sixers more effective minutes than Andre Drummond next season given that he can also contribute on the defensive end in a way that Drummond just struggles.
Not sure if Reed will earn minutes over Drummond, but if Reed continues to become more of a 3-point shooter, that will give coach Doc Rivers incentive to start him in the games where Joel Embiid can’t go. It will be tough to have Drummond and Ben Simmons on the floor together because of the lack of spacing, and if Reed can become a better shooter, that will help Rivers’ choice when Embiid can’t sit.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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