James Harden, Sixers praise Paul Reed for improvements in his game
PHILADELPHIA–As the Philadelphia 76ers move forward with their title plans in the 2022-23 season, it does appear that they have finally found a consistent backup center behind Joel Embiid.
Paul Reed continues to make strides as an energetic big man and he continues to be productive out on the floor. In Friday’s 117-110 win over the Toronto Raptors, Reed took on the giant big men that the Raptors offer and he didn’t blink. He had 11 points and six rebounds in 14:26 off the bench and he gave the Sixers that spark.
He continues to make strides with James Harden in the pick-and-roll game and he has been a reliable roller. He has great hands and he is somebody who can make a positive impact in that respect.
“Paul’s great,” said Harden. “He listens. He plays hard. Obviously, he gives us that burst that we need, extra possessions. Offensively, I just tried to make the job easier for him. I get to the basket and his man commits. He missed a couple of easy ones, but we give guys like that confidence to keep going. He’s good for our team.”
The backup center spot behind Embiid has been in flux since the big fella arrived in Philadelphia. Reed has continued to improve and it appears that he has taken over the spot permanently as they move forward.
“He’s just playing hard,” added Embiid. “I think his confidence is really high right now and he knows what we need from him which is playing hard and offensively, offensive rebounds, setting screens, rolling. Defensively, switching one through five and just being as aggressive as possible.”
The Sixers did not trust Reed all that much in the past, but he now has a clear understanding of his role and he has been able to put together some consistent efforts. That is what it’s going to have to be for him as he moves forward.
“What Paul has to do every night is when he’s doing,” added coach Doc Rivers. “He has to roll. He has to roll and has to roll with speed and what we’re trying to teach him, and are teaching him daily, we work on it daily. He’s not big, he’s fast. So a slow roll from Paul Reed does nothing. A fast roll for Paul Reed gives us an advantage and so he’s doing that way better than he was doing earlier in the year.”
