PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers big man Paul Reed still has a few moments that makes one scratch their head, but there is no doubt he is one of the more reliable players in Philadelphia’s bench unit.
The Sixers have made Reed the primary backup to star big man Joel Embiid. Even though he has had some up and down moments, the young big man out of DePaul has begun to find comfort and clarity in what’s asked of him by coach Nick Nurse.
“Crash, play D, set screens and roll, execute plays, get the correct floor spacing so my teammates can get open,” Reed said. “Just things like that and talking on defense.”
Defense and working around the basket are what will get Reed more consistent playing time. While the Sixers would like him to shoot more 3s, it isn’t a priority. Philadelphia wants him to focus on what he does best.
“It’s been like that all season for me,” Reed added. “Since the first game, I’ve just been locked in on just doing whatever the team needs me to do, and I understand defense is one of my strengths so I kinda rely on that to get my game going.”
Reed provided a bit of a spark for the Sixers in Wednesday’s loss to the Boston Celtics. Nurse called upon the big man to give the team a boost and he did so with 10 points and six rebounds in his reserve minutes. Philadelphia was off to a sluggish start from both the starters and the initial bench unit. Reed gave the Sixers a significant energy boost.
“I’m gonna bring energy,” he said succinctly. “I’m an energy type of player. If I’m out there for 20 minutes, you’re gonna get 20 minutes of energy from me. If I get 30 minutes, you’re gonna get 30 minutes of energy from me. That’s kind of my mindset.”
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