Why 76ers' Paul Reed Can't be 'Too Aggressive' vs. Lakers Star

Paul Reed discusses his matchup against Anthony Davis on Monday.

On Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers will square off against the LA Lakers for the first time this season. Ahead of the matchup, Paul Reed shared his thoughts on guarding one of their top players. 

Following shootaround on Monday morning, Paul Reed was asked about the matchup with the Lakers. As the Sixers' primary backup to Joel Embiid, he'll also be tasked with defending Anthony Davis. Reed did not hold back with his thoughts on the former No. 1 pick, saying he needs to be disciplined on defense because of Davis' antics. 

“He’s a big flopper so make sure I don’t get in foul trouble early by any—I can’t be too aggressive with him,” Reed told reporters Monday. “He’s gonna be flailing so I gotta make sure I stay out of foul trouble.”

Heading into this matchup, Davis is averaging 22.1 PPG and 12.1 RPG through the first month of the season. He is getting to the line about six times a game, which is on the lower end of his averages for any given season in his career. 

Reed, 24, is in the midst of his first full season as the Sixers' full-time backup center. So far this year, he is averaging 4.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 0.9 APG. 

He might have touched on it in an egregious manner, but Reed is not wrong about the upcoming matchup with Davis. The young big man likes to be physical around the rim but needs to be smart in a game like this. As one of the top bigs in the league, the officials are going to have their eyes on Davis at all times. If Reed gets out of hand while guarding him, it could lead to early foul trouble and limited playing time. 

The Sixers and Lakers will tip off at 7 p.m. Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center in a nationally televised matchup.