Paul Reed went from unknown to fan favorite to no longer on thre Philadelphia 76ers in record time. He speedran his time with Philly, and it seemed like when he signed with the Detroit Pistons prior to last season, he was en route to a bigger role.
That didn't end up being the case last year, as Reed was mostly buried on the bench. It appeared that may be the case again in 2025-26, but after some injuries in the Pistons frontcourt, Reed has been thrust into action, and he's made the most of it for the scorching hot Pistons. He had one 28/13/6/4 game in which he turned into Wilt Chamberlain, and even on nights when he's a normal backup center, he's been solidly productive.
As it stands, Reed has the distinction of best third-string center in basketball, but that certainly wasn't the role he envisioned for himself when he stayed with the Pistons on a two-year deal in the offseason. It's also odd the Pistons went out of their way to bring him back on a multi-year deal if the plan was never actually to play him.
Paul Reed might be clawing his way back into Pistons rotation
In Reed's final year with the Sixers, he played every game, rebounded well, and blocked a shot per game. It's hard to believe his NBA tenure will go from that to non-existent overnight, so a bounceback this year isn't too crazy a proposition.
Still, he is stuck behind Jalen Duren, who looks like an All-Star, and Isaiah Stewart, who is a playable backup, so it might still be tough for Reed to crack the lineup on a nightly basis.
Maybe his solid start to the year has been enough to earn him minutes even when the Pistons are fully healthy. Maybe it's been enough to up his trade value for contending teams who need frontcourt depth. Maybe he simply goes back to the bench and is an elite safety net who can be called on in a pinch.
There will always be love for B Ball Paul in Philadelphia, though, and seeing him get back on the court will make Sixers fans happy, even if it's happening for an Eastern Conference foe.