The Philadelphia 76ers no longer have any reason to keep a close eye on what is currently happening in the playoffs, but the postseason does feature some of their former cogs who are now with other ball clubs. One of those players is Paul Reed, who ultimately ended up being someone whom they should not have let go in the first place.
Reed, who spent his first four seasons as a pro in Philly, is now thriving in Detroit. The Pistons finished the regular season with a 60-22 record, good for first place in the suddenly jam-packed Eastern Conference. However, the road for them in the playoffs has not been as smooth as expected. It took them an exhausting comeback from being down 3-1 in the first round to advance, and now, they will be facing a rubber match against the Cavaliers in another Game 7.
The former 76ers big man, however, has not wavered in the postseason for the Pistons. While he did not play much in the first round, JB Bickerstaff and his staff has given him ample playing time as of late and the results have been pretty good. All-Star center Jalen Duren has mightily struggled in the playoffs, so Reed stepping up to the plate has basically saved Detroit from getting booted out earlier than expected.
The 76ers should not have let Paul Reed go in free agency
Reed was far from remarkable in his first three seasons with the 76ers, but he was finally able to crack the regular rotation in 2023-24. However, that ended up being his final season in Philly, and he quickly jumped ship in free agency to go to Detroit.
Over the next two years (including this season), Reed has actually not seen the floor as much compared to his last year with the 76ers thanks to the Pistons having a two-headed monster at center with Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. However, the script has been flipped in the playoffs, as Reed has arguably outplayed both big men as a surprise postseason riser.
In the last three games, Reed has averaged 14 points and six rebounds per outing despite playing under 16 minutes a night. No other third-string center in the league has had that kind of impact, and this is precisely the kind of production the 76ers have been sorely missing in years.
Hindsight is always 20/20, but the 76ers could have at least committed to Paul Reed a little bit more. He was already having a career year in his final season with the franchise, and it is pretty clear at this point that there is no better third-string center in the league than him.
Add us as a preferred source on Google