NBA
76ers: Head coach Nick Nurse wants to mold Paul Reed into a ‘Pascal Siakam-type player’
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated26 Jul 2023
Entering this offseason, Sixers big man Paul Reed was a restricted free agent. The Utah Jazz signed Reed, but Philly had a chance to match that offer sheet. He was then re-signed by the 76ers to a three-year, $23 million deal. Next season, the Sixers have a new head coach in Nick Nurse. Reed’s new head coach has told him that he wants to mold the 24-year-old into a “Pascal Siakam-type player”.
In the 2020 NBA Draft, the 76ers took Paul Reed in the second round with the 58th pick. Over the first two seasons of his career, he played in 64 games. Last season, he passed that mark by playing in 69 of Philadelphia’s 82 games. Reed hasn’t seen a lot of playing time due to the fact he’s the backup of the reigning league MVP.
He averages (9.3) minutes per game in 133 career games. His new head coach wants to mold him into one of the former all-stars he used to coach in Toronto. Pascal Siakam is a multi-time all-star and an NBA champion. The Sixers would love to see Reed develop into a role like Siakam had in his early seasons with the Raptors.
Paul Reed says Nick Nurse and the Sixers want to mold him into a ‘Pascal Siakam-type player’
“He talked about molding me into a Pascal Siakam-type player. Somebody who can kind of do it all. Shoot the ball, drive, pass, but right it’s all about focusing on my shot mechanics.… pic.twitter.com/QDPzsfGTfe
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 25, 2023
What type of player can Paul Reed develop into under head coach Nick Nurse?
The 2023-24 season will be Paul Reed’s fourth year with the 76ers. Reed and head coach Nick Nurse have had discussions about molding him into a “Pascal Siakam-type player”. Nick Nurse was able to oversee Siakam’s development first-hand as the Raptors’ head coach for five seasons. Paul Reed and Pascal Siakam have similar builds, but the 76ers’ big man still has a lot of development to become an all-star.
One striking difference between Reed and Siakam, when you compare the starts of their career, is playing time. As a rookie, Siakam averaged (15.9) minutes per game. By year three he was playing (31.9) minutes and was a full-time starter. During his rookie season with the 76ers, Reed averaged (6.8) minutes per game. Last season he averaged (10.9) minutes per game and only made two starts during the regular season.
Another distinction between the two is the ability to shoot the ball. In the modern NBA, having a big man who can shoot from range is ideal. Paul Reed has a career (.150) three-point percentage. Nick Nurse has told Reed that he needs to start focusing on his shot mechanics and the small details. Reed still hasn’t been given the chance to play extended minutes and prove he can be more than the average role player.
