Paul Reed's Rookie Season With Sixers Was 'Humbling'

When the Philadelphia 76ers drafted DePaul forward Paul Reed with the 58th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, it was unclear what his role with the team would be, if he had any at all. Considering late second-round picks don't always typically crack the final roster, the possibility of Reed garnering any regular-season minutes in Philly seemed slim.

Reed landed himself a two-way contract with the Sixers, which guaranteed he would be a part of the Delaware Blue Coats' roster when the NBA G League got started. Reed went to the G League bubble with expectations low and ended up coming out as the best player in the entire developmental league this season.

Not only did Reed earn Rookie of the Year honors in the G League, but he was also named the Most Valuable Player as he dominated the competition and helped lead the Blue Coats through their first playoff run all the way to the championship before falling short to the Lakeland Magic. 

Thanks to Reed's impressive progress in the bubble, he eventually earned himself a standard NBA contract. While Reed remains a reserve for the Sixers and hasn't quite cracked the standard rotation this season, the rookie forward learned plenty of valuable lessons throughout the year as he experienced two different worlds in the G League and in the NBA. 

“It’s been very interesting,” Reed said in regards to his rookie season as a whole. “You got the best team in the NBA, and that kind of is like a humbling experience. I went to the G League and got MVP. It’s easy to get big-headed, but every day, I try to remind myself to stay humble. I know I’m good and stuff, but just stay humble, just keep working harder and harder to get better every day. That’s the mindset.”

When playing with the Blue Coats, Reed starts and is the best player on the floor. With the Sixers, he's just another guy looking to improve. While his time in the G League certainly allowed Reed to develop his game further and build up his confidence, his time on the main roster is what's keeping him humble and ensuring he continues to work hard on his game moving forward. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.