The next wave of NBA talent is preparing for the 2023 NBA draft by going through workouts and interviews. They are preparing for what they hope will be the night their dreams come true on June 22.
Philadelphia 76ers big man Paul Reed was the 58th pick in the 2020 draft out of DePaul. After a few seasons of adjusting to the NBA game, he took over the backup center spot midway through the 2022-23 season, and he had a solid showing in the playoffs. He’s somebody the Sixers can rely on off the bench.
Reed had to put in a lot of work to become a rotation player in the NBA, and the young big man has advice for anybody who asks for it. DePaul big man Nick Ongenda sat down with Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire and stated he has talked to Reed looking for some guidance:
That’s my boy! We check in here and there. Before I entered my name in the draft to test the waters initially, he hit me up telling me he was in Chicago and stuff so I hit him up and asked him for feedback. He was like, ‘You just got to put in the work.’ Obviously, I listened to his advice. When I was a freshman, he was one of my biggest influences. He was nonstop in the gym so I took a lot from him in that aspect.
The Sixers are likely interested in bringing Reed back in free agency and he is not going to stop working. He will keep going to become the player he believes he can be. If Ongenda can take that example of a great work ethic and apply it to his game, he should be in great shape.
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