Sixers Rookie Paul Reed Praised by ESPN for his Progress in the G League
Philadelphia 76ers two-way rookie big man Paul Reed is having himself an outstanding season down in the NBA G League bubble. After getting selected by the Sixers late in the 2020 NBA Draft, Reed made it clear that he was going to come into the season with a chip on his shoulder and prove he should've been taken higher.
He might not have stood out much in the handful of minutes he played on Philly's main roster, but he's been a superstar with the Delaware Blue Coats in Orlando this season. And while he's getting ready to compete for the G League championship as an MVP candidate, Reed is garnering some notable national attention for his play.
ESPN's Jonathan Givony recently detailed everything he's learned from the G League bubble this season. And as the Sixers got ready for a semifinals matchup against the Raptors 905, Givony had high praise for Delaware's standout, Paul Reed.
"He has excellent touch, which manifests itself with the impressive creativity he shows finishing around the basket from difficult vantage points as well as how reliable Reed is from the free throw line. Being able to step into wide open 3-pointers with time and space as slower footed defenders retreat has helped Reed find an excellent rhythm in pick-and-pop situations.
He’s very dangerous attacking closeouts, pushing the ball off the defensive glass and using his excellent quickness, length and intensity as an offensive rebounder as well. The game still moves a little too fast for Reed at times, but there were very few big men at this level able to match up with his style of play."
In the bubble, Reed averaged 22 points in 15 games. Before heading to Orlando for the winter, Reed made it clear he wanted to improve his three-point shooting. On 3.6 attempts-per-game, Reed has knocked down 44-percent of his shots.
Is he a finished product? Far from it. But it's not every year a late second-rounder instantly becomes a G League MVP frontrunner while vastly improving parts of their game they struggled with when playing in college. Reed has plenty of room for improvement, but the Sixers surely have to be thrilled with his progress so far.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.
