Paul Reed Draws Inspiration From Dennis Rodman and Former 76er

76ers center Paul Reed reveals his top two rebounding inspirations.

Since joining the Philadelphia 76ers as a late second-round pick in 2020, Paul Reed has flashed tons of potential on the glass. While playing time beyond the NBA G League was hard to come by for Reed in his first year, his success at the developmental level left the Sixers intrigued.

In year three, Reed began carving out a steady role for himself. While consistent minutes were hard to come by at times throughout the 2022-2023 season, it’s now clear that Reed is Joel Embiid’s primary backup as the Sixers engage in a first-round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets.

On a team that’s struggled in the rebounding department at times throughout the season, Reed’s been a big help during his 11 minutes per game. 

In 69 regular season games this season, Reed averaged four rebounds per game. According to Cleaning the Glass, he’s grabbed rebounds on 14.5 percent of his teammate’s misses, which ranks in the 94th percentile at the big man spot in the NBA. 

On the defensive end, Reed’s rebounded on 21.1 percent of the Sixers’ opponent’s misses, which ranks in the 78th percentile for bigs, according to CLG. 

During his 12-minute shift in Game 1 against the Brooklyn Nets over the weekend, Reed grabbed 20 percent of offensive rebounds when he was on the floor and snagged 40 percent of defensive rebounds.

As it’s become clear that Reed is one of the Sixers’ more reliable rebounders, he recently disclosed two players that he draws inspiration from, one being a former legend. Another is a former teammate of his on the Sixers.

“I watched Dennis Rodman a lot,” Reed revealed. “Also, just being teammates with Andre Drummond, I feel like I learned a lot about positioning and tipping the ball to myself and just reading how to ball comes off the rim. I feel like that’s one of the most important things I focus on for offensive rebounding.”

For seven-straight seasons, Dennis Rodman led the NBA in rebounds per game. During his time with the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls, the legend established himself as a beast on the glass and made a long career out of it.

As for former Sixers big man and current Chicago Bulls center Andre Drummond, he’s been in a similar position as Rodman in the rebounding department, as he’s led the league in rebounds per game on four occasions. Therefore, Reed enjoyed picking his brain.

“That was my big brother for real,” Reed explained. “We was locked in, and he was trying to take me under his wing, and he tried to teach me everything he could, and we’re still close to the day.”

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.