CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers received a big game from Paul Reed in Friday’s win over the Sacramento Kings on a night when the Sixers didn’t have Joel Embiid for a third consecutive game due to a left knee issue.
Reed stepped up big time and had eight points, seven rebounds, and three blocks along with two steals. He didn’t try to do too much and he played within himself. The young big man makes his impact by providing energy and playing solid defense.
Playing within himself is what the Sixers are continuing to preach to him.
“With Paul, I think his biggest thing is less is more,” said Mo Bamba who had four blocks of his own in the win over the Kings. “I wasn’t here last year, but just hearing what Reese (Tyrese Maxey) had to say about how he felt about his performance and how he’s played, and Paul makes a lot of big plays with this just his energy alone. Just him getting back to things that got him to where he is was huge for us.”
Reed did take an open triple on Friday, which he missed, but overall, he played his game and that’s what the Sixers want. They don’t want him doing too much on the floor.
“Listen, Paul had a really good game the other night, and what I talked about a little bit in the postgame is that, and this is not just with Paul, but this is with a lot of guys and this is our job as coaches is we need—Paul’s got some strengths, right?” said coach Nick Nurse. “I keep telling you what those are. He needs to play to those, right?”
Those strengths that Nurse pointed out are his energy and ability to get loose balls when the Sixers need them. Reed also tends to make the big extra-possession play for Philadelphia. That’s his biggest contribution to the Sixers.
“Use his energy and thoughts and prep and minutes on the floor to play to those strengths and that’s what he did the other night,” said Nurse. “That’s what I’m going to try to continue to move him forward as far as that’s where I want him to progress. Get more loose balls than you’re already getting. Make more hustle plays than you’re already getting. Get more extra possessions than you’re already getting. Those areas.”
As far as other parts of his game, Reed is shooting 33.3% from deep on 0.5 attempts per game. The Sixers want him to focus on what he does best. Not experimenting with 3-pointers.
“I’m not as concerned with trying to expand his offensive game or any of that kind of stuff because he needs to excel at what he’s really doing well,” Nurse continued. “That stuff may or may not come in time, but he’s already a really good NBA player at what he does and we need to see that stuff more often.”
On the other hand, when it comes to him doing too much, it could possibly come to him wanting to replace what Joel Embiid brings on a nightly basis. Nurse does not want Reed to focus on that.
“Possibly, but again, these are working together projects, right?” he finished. “We need to make him understand that it’s not filling in for Joel. He’s just going to go out there and be the best Paul Reed he can be. He’s not trying to do that. Like that’s a collective 10 guys that hit the floor that’s trying to fill in Joel whatever that points and rebounds total is. So it’s a collective effort between the players and the coaching staff.”
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