For a team that hasn’t made a lottery selection since, ugh, Markelle Fultz, the Sixers have done an exceptional job adding and developing talent through the draft.
In the late lottery and second round, they’ve turned selecting quality NBA players into a habit. It’s wild that clearly valuable players like this year’s first-round selection Jaden Springer and proven sharpshooter Isaiah Joe don’t even qualify for this list of Philly’s top five under 25.
The depth and quality of young talent available to the Sixers is a testament to the team’s scouting and player development departments. Without further ado, here are the five most promising of those young talents.
Sixers’ five most promising players under 25 — 5. Paul Reed
The Sixers took a low-risk swing on Paul Reed, a big man with physical tools and a high motor but clearly a project player, when they selected him 58th overall in the draft two seasons ago.
Since then, Reed has outpaced his expected development curve and proven that he belongs in the NBA. Last season, he dominated the G-League bubble, winning its MVP award while putting up gaudy numbers: 22 points and 12 rebounds per game with a wildly efficient true shooting percentage of 65.9, and two steals and blocks per game to boot.
Reed also seemed to demonstrate development as a shooter beyond the team’s most optimistic projections. He went from shooting just 30.8% from beyond the arc on 1.8 shots per game to knocking down 44.4 percent of his G-League triples while doubling his attempts per game. Though his shooting form is nothing to write home about, Reed has proven himself as a competent threat beyond the arc, answering one of the biggest questions about him coming into the NBA.
Now, before the Paul Reed hype train fully departs the station, it’s important to remember that he’s never really played against NBA competition in any meaningful games. His high-usage offensive game might not translate very well to the pros, where he’ll be asked to be more of a role player. But as of right now, selecting him looks like a home run pick for the front office, and he’s one of Philadelphia’s most promising young talents.