PHILADELPHIA–Philadelphia 76ers big man Paul Reed continues to develop into a solid big man off the bench. After not playing much to begin the season, Reed has been getting the backup minutes behind Joel Embiid and he has taken advantage of his minutes.
In Sunday’s win over the Washington Wizards, Reed had some nice moments as he had six points and six rebounds in 12 minutes. He was terrific on the defensive end, he finished well on offense, and he gave the Sixers some good production in order to give Embiid his rest.
The biggest observation one can make is that Reed is continuing to build a relationship with James Harden. The two of them were shaky early on, but it’s obvious now that Reed has a better understanding of what’s expected of him and where he needs to be on the offensive end.
“As a young dude, man, Paul works,” said Harden. “I was in there shooting this morning (Sunday), he was right there with me. When you got a guy that puts in the work and listens, good things are gonna happen for him. He’s already a talented player, but the better connection we can have, the easier it’s going to be on both ends of the floor. He’s been doing a really good job at that.”
Reed understands that his partnership with Harden is going to be very important. Of course, it will come down to Harden and Embiid, but with Reed continuing to build that duo, it will allow the big fella to get his rest.
“It’s extremely important because when I’m in the game, most times than not he’s in the game too, and for us to be successful when we’re both out on the court, we have to trust each other, and he got to trust me,” said Reed. “He sees how hard I work. Me and him are the last ones to leave the gym almost every day so he understands the work I’m putting in. I think that plays a big role in it, too.”
Reed’s work has also caught the attention of his new teammate, Dewayne Dedmon.
“Paul’s doing his thing, man,” Dedmon said. “He’s doing well. He’s figuring out his spots, how to set the screens, and maneuver the angles so he’s on his way.”
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Story originally appeared on Sixers Wire