Doc Rivers lays out goals for Paul Reed, other young Sixers on roster

CAMDEN, N.J. —  For the Philadelphia 76ers to move closer to their championship goal, they will need to make roster moves that will help James Harden and Joel Embiid on the floor. They could also benefit from substantial improvement by their bench players and their younger players.

Philadelphia has some intriguing younger players such as Paul Reed, Isaiah Joe, Jaden Springer and Charles Bassey. There was a call for coach Doc Rivers to play Reed more behind Embiid, but he continued to call on DeAndre Jordan given his veteran status and Reed’s continued struggles to understand and execute his role.

As the Sixers head into the summer, Rivers conveyed the goals he has laid out for those youngsters for them to be contributors to the team.

Rivers on Reed

“Big summer for all of them. Each guy’s different. It’s funny, in Paul Reed’s meeting, I really started talking about winning in the locker room, like way off subject that’s usually an exit meeting, and the reason we love him is because I’m talking about work and so he stands up and he’s starting to stretch like we’re about to start practicing right now, but his energy and the kid wants to get it right. This year with him, in particular, like just getting him to understand who he is and how he can be a better player now. It took a while, and it grew and he started really focusing on execution and being in the right spot. He did that and, eventually, he earned minutes.”

Rivers on Isaiah Joe and Jaden Springer

“Isaiah Joe, I look at him, and I look at that shot, and there’s so many other things that he has to work on and improve to get on the floor, but this summer is important for him. Jaden, too. Jaden’s young. 19? Is he 19 yet? 19-years old, youngest player in the NBA last year. He’s already got an NBA body. I think — and I’m probably outnumbered in this — he’s got a chance to be an elite defensive player. He has a lot of offensive things he has to work on.”

Rivers' goals for Charles Bassey

“Then, Charles you know, I love that kid. I don’t know if he’s ready yet. I would say staff-wise, he needs to get stronger. He gets pushed around pretty easy. Offensively, he’s raw, but not as raw as you think. I think of the guys, he’s got the chance to have a huge summer, and as far as development, we need him to and we’re gonna push him. We’ve got to get stronger. That’s the No. 1 thing.”

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