Not a lot of people expected Paul Reed to stay with the Philadelphia 76ers for a total of four seasons. Selected with the 58th overall pick back in the 2020 draft, the undersized big man had all odds stacked against him as he aimed to entrench his staying power in the league. But lo and behold, he is now on his sixth year as a pro, still being on an NBA roster.
But as everyone knows, Reed has since moved on from the 76ers. He exited the team that drafted him in the summer of 2024, opting to head to Detroit in hopes of landing a bigger role. After all, despite spending four seasons in Philly, he never really had a consistent spot in the rotation when the team was fully healthy.
Unfortunately for “Bball Paul”, as he is fondly called, the Pistons have not been any different in that regard. Despite their resurgence as a playoff team last season and an apparent title contender in this campaign, the former 76ers big man still seems to have a very difficult time seeing the floor on a consistent basis.
Paul Reed continues to struggle finding a consistent role with his new team
Unlike the 76ers, the Pistons are loaded at the center position. They have Jalen Duren as their starting big man, and he has definitely gotten a lot of attention with his sudden upswing across the board so far this season.
Off the bench, they have Isaiah Stewart, who has become one of the better rim protectors in the league while also displaying a more polished offensive game.
It is probably for those reasons that Reed has not gotten a lot of run with the Pistons. The former 76ers big man admittedly remains limited on offense despite his relatively great defensive acuity. Still, he still has his flashes of brilliance. Just a couple of weeks ago, he had a game where he turned in 28 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks en route to a win.
Reed was on fill-in duty during that game, but since then, his playing time has dwindled. But if there is one thing clear, it is that he is clearly geared up to be productive. It is only a matter of getting the actual on-court reps for him to do his thing.
Hopefully, the beloved 76ers big man can finally get the big break he needs. But given how the Pistons have fared so far, it would seem like he will need to exercise a bit more patience to get his turn and impress on a consistent basis.