Sixers' Paul Reed Named NBA G League MVP, Rookie of the Year

Philadelphia 76ers two-way rookie Paul Reed is having a good start to his week. On Monday afternoon, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Reed, who spent multiple months down in the NBA G League bubble, has been named the league's Most Valuable Player and the Rookie of the Year.

The 21-year-old forward/center joined the Sixers back in November through the 2021 NBA Draft. He became a late second-round selection after spending three years at DePaul University. Last year, Reed averaged 15 points-per-game over 29 starts.

Coming into the NBA, he was viewed as nothing more than a project player. After seeing 57 prospects get taken ahead of him in the NBA Draft, Reed came into the Sixers' organization with a chip on his shoulder.

After a solid training camp, Reed earned himself a two-way contract with the Sixers. With that, he was guaranteed to play for the team's G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, down in the Orlando bubble this season.

From the jump, Reed was a standout prospect for the Blue Coats. In 15 regular-season games, Reed averaged 31 minutes on the court. During that time, he put up 22 points-per-game while collecting 11.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.8 blocks.

Reed's contributions helped the Blue Coats clinch a playoff berth for the first time in team history. Not only did Reed and the Blue Coats win their first playoff game, but they went on to challenge the Lakeland Magic for the G League championship.

Unfortunately, the Blue Coats fell short. So, they didn't get to handle the hardware after the game. However, Reed will still come out on top as the league's MVP and Rookie of the Year for his outstanding play in Orlando. And perhaps, soon enough, he'll earn himself a standard NBA contract as well, which will surely prove he's officially 'out the mud.'

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