Philadelphia 76ers: Paul Reed lighting up G-League

Paul Reed, the Philadelphia 76ers’ second-round pick, is making his mark in the G-League.

The Philadelphia 76ers used the 58th overall pick in November’s NBA Draft to select Paul Reed, a bouncy 6-foot-9 forward from DePaul. While the second round is often the equivalent of throwing darts blindfolded in the wind, it is not uncommon for teams to strike gold. The Sixers have done so recently with Shake Milton, another player who Philadelphia snatched in the 50s.

Like Milton, Reed is primed to spend the first year or two of his career in the G-League. The Sixers signed him to a two-way contract, and while we got a brief taste of him in NBA action due to COVID protocols, it is unlikely we see Reed more than fleetingly for the rest of the season. In a Sixers uniform, that is.

Reed has moved to the G-League Bubble in Orlando. He has spent the last several days starring for the Delaware Blue Coats, even winning G-League Player of the Week out of the gates. In three games, Reed averaged 24.7 points, 11. rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game, showing an impressive command of both sides of the ball.

We are still far from Reed being NBA ready. Even at the ripe age of 21, Reed was viewed as a project coming out of DePaul. He’s springy and energetic, but needs to polish the fundamentals of the game on both ends. His 3-point stroke hasn’t fully blossomed yet, and he’s still foul-prone against stronger, craftier bigs.

Luckily for Reed, the G-League is the perfect home for high-energy bigs who can envelop space, run the floor, and get in the way defensively. Reed is naturally attracted to chaos, and Sixers GM Daryl Morey has a solid track record of unearthing long, athletic forwards who start in the G-League. I am, of course, referring to Robert Covington.

While pegging Reed as Covington 2.0 is brash and premature, it’s worth monitoring Reed’s success in the “Gubble.” The Sixers have now proven they can develop talent through Delaware, and Reed was much higher than 58 on most draft boards.

Reed plays a lovable brand of basketball. He’s tough and physical, with enough skill potential to one day make an impact in the NBA. The Sixers’ frontcourt depth outside the starting five is notoriously flimsy, which leaves plenty of room for Reed to grow into relevance in Philadelphia.

He — and the red-hot Blue Coats — are worth watching.