Find A Spot For BBall Paul
Paul Reed shold not lose his spot in the rotation even with the return of Isaiah Stewart.
At the conclusion of the Detroit Pistons shocking 3-1 Western Conference roadtrip, one thing became clear: Paul Reed belongs in the rotation.
Yes, that Paul Reed. The same Paul Reed that was waived by the Pistons and re-signed within a matter of days. The same Paul Reed that took a $4 million pay cut in the middle of the season.
Reed began the trip as the team’s backup center. Isaiah Stewart had been sidelined with a left knee injury that forced him to miss four games. By the end of the trip, Stewart had returned from injury, thus sliding Reed out of J.B. Bickerstaff’s 10-man rotation.
However, Reed played a critical role in Detroit’s stunning comeback victory over the Sacramento Kings. Then, down big against the Denver Nuggets, Bickerstaff waived the white flag at the start of the 4th quarter and emptied his bench. Reed, along with Marcus Sasser, and Wendell Moore, served as catalysts in a comeback effort that came up just short.
“BBall Paul” brings a steady ability to impact the game for Detroit. For him, it starts with his ability to make key defensive plays.
In his last five games, totaling 77 minutes, Reed accumulated 13 steals and seven blocks. He generates momentum-swinging plays and forces turnovers at a high rate.
Offensively, Reed is exactly what a modern NBA team wants from a center. He can finish at the rim, hit mid-range jumpers and baseline shots, and can connect on the occasional 3-pointer. He does not demand the ball, nor does his effort fall off if he fails to find any shots within Detroit’s offense.
The same might not be able to be said about others on Detroit’s roster or across the NBA.
He is a low-maintenance, high-intensity role player,
Reed is also a capable passer. In under 12 minutes per game this season, he has averaged 1.1 assists per game. He recorded five assists (and five “stocks”, a combination of blocks and steals) in the Pistons' close win against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Even with both Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart healthy, J.B. Bickerstaff should consider finding minutes for Reed in his rotation.
Quite simply, Reed has outperformed Detroit’s other centers as of late. He has done everything to earn a rotation spot while doing nothing to lose it.
Reed has been a great addition to the Pistons, providing the team with depth, defense, and intensity. He should be rewarded with a more frequent and permanent spot in Detroit’s rotation.