Joel Embiid’s Assessment of Paul Reed Before the All-Star Break

The Philadelphia 76ers haven’t had consistency behind the star center Joel Embiid this season. While several veterans are on board that take up the backup center minutes, Doc Rivers could roll with somebody different on any given night.

Philly’s options are Paul Reed, Montrezl Harrell, PJ Tucker, and the new addition Dewayne Dedmon. While Harrell’s appeared in more games and averaged more minutes than Reed this season, the third-year former second-round pick is currently in the Sixers’ rotation again.

Over the last four games, Reed averaged 12 minutes on the floor. Going into the All-Star break, it’s become clear that Reed is more than likely going to continue picking up minutes behind Embiid for the time being.

Following Philly’s victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers last Wednesday, Sixers center Joel Embiid acknowledged the recent play of Reed, noting what the young veteran brings to the table.

“He's doing what we need him to do,” Embiid said of Reed. “You know, playing hard, being active offensively and defensively. Offensively, setting screens. Defensively, just trying to be as aggressive as possible.”

Embiid’s compliments did not come without some light criticism, though.

"Obviously, he’s got to stop fouling,” Embiid said with a grin. “Stop being a hacker.”

All in all, though, Embiid credits the young big for giving the Sixers a boost off the bench during the short stretch before the break.

“You can see the last few games," Embiid finished. "He’s one of the reasons why we’ve been able to get these leads and keep them."

Fouling has always been a consistent issue for Reed. However, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers encouraged Reed to stop worrying about calls and continue playing aggressively, as his playing time is limited already.

As long as Reed can continue having an impact on the defensive end and stay productive on the glass, he might have an opportunity to solidify his spot in the Sixers’ playoff rotation for the second-straight year.

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