76ers: Doc Rivers Touches On Paul Reed's Growth This Year

Paul Reed has always had a tricky spot on the Philadelphia 76ers' roster. Being the backup for All-Star and MVP candidate Joel Embiid means you're not always guaranteed consistent playing minutes.

Mix this with extreme competition at your positions with the likes of former Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell, the veteran Dewayne Dedmon, and previously two-time All-NBA star DeAndre Jordan, and you aren't even promised to get minutes, to begin with.

The beginning of the season wasn't any different for Reed, despite picking up more minutes when Embiid sat out of games.

Prior to the All-Star break in late February, Reed was averaging nine minutes per game, averaging three points and three rebounds along the way. Lately, these numbers have grown.

Since the All-Star break, the story has changed with the former DePaul star is starting to receive more playing time, as a combination of Embiid missing a game and Reed being Doc Rivers' preferred backup to the All-Star.

In the eight games back, Reed is averaging nearly 12 minutes per game, scoring five points, grabbing four rebounds, and blocking one shot per game.

As a result of his increase in playing time, the growth and maturity of the 23-year-old hasn't gone unnoticed, as Rivers has touched on his pace of play and awareness improving.

"[He's gotten] way better, he's just slowing down," Rivers told reporters, "In the Milwaukee game, he caught it, and you could see he was about to shoot a three, and then he caught himself, dribbled into a handoff, rolled, and got the layup. That's the difference. He's starting to grow."

This energy on the court is something that fellow youngster Tyrese Maxey has highlighted previously, pinning it to having to be active every second Reed is on the court.

Declan Harris contributes to All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @DecIanH.

For live updates on the Philadelphia 76ers, follow @All76ersFN on Twitter!