Montrezl Harrell Praises Paul Reed’s Selflessness

Paul Reed receives praise from his veteran teammate, Montrezl Harrell.

The Philadelphia 76ers don’t have a primary backup behind the starting center Joel Embiid. Instead, Doc Rivers has utilized several prospects in the position depending on the situation.

If the Sixers want to go with a small-ball lineup, they tend to shift PJ Tucker to the five. If Rivers wants to go with an offense-focused lineup, Montrezl Harrell tends to get the nod. If the Sixers need rebounding and more defense, Paul Reed gets to give it a go.

Reed and Harrell tend to battle for minutes behind Embiid on a nightly basis when the All-Star center is healthy, but the veterans have proven that they are willing to do whatever it takes to satisfy the needs of the team. If one guy is on the court, favored over the other for the night, the other stays ready on the sidelines supporting the team.

Harrell hasn’t shied away from the fact that he wants to be on the court as much as possible, but he understands that the backup center role is in flux, as Doc Rivers described.

“It’s not up to me,” said Harrell on Wednesday night in Charlotte regarding the status of the backup center role. “If it was up to me, I’d love to be out there every possession as much as I can. It’s about what the coaches feel and what’s best for our team, so that’s what we go with. Whenever my name is called, I’m always ready to go — simple as that.”

Harrell has a selfless mentality playing for the Sixers this season. And the former Sixth Man of the Year praised his young teammate Paul Reed for having a similar mindset as well.

“He’s played to the best of his ability,” said Harrell. “He came in with great energy, positivity, doing all of the little things the coach has asked. He’s another young player that has a lot of room to grow, and he’s eager to learn. I don’t think anything he tries to do is selfish or about him. He tries to do all the little things. That’s basically the same way I was. Just try to help the team win. He’s not going out there with any kind of mindset of, ‘Me, me, me.’ It’s about teamwork and what he needs to do to stay on the floor and help the team win. I think that’s a great aspect to have as a young player.”

Reed’s mentioned on several occasions that he understands his role for the Sixers. While the third-year center works hard on every aspect of his game, he’s learning that he doesn’t have to go above and beyond to be successful as he just has to stick to what the Sixers need during his time on the floor, which is stout defense, physicality, rebounding, and hustle plays. 

Harrell, who’s been in the NBA since 2015, has come across a lot of young players during his time. In the veteran’s eyes, Reed possesses a great quality as he continues to grow as a third-year pro.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.