76ers vs. Nets: Joel Embiid’s Praise for Paul Reed After Game 1

76ers center Joel Embiid liked what he saw out of his backup Paul Reed during Game 1 against the Nets.

So far, the Philadelphia 76ers are in good shape in getting valuable minutes out of their backup center behind Joel Embiid.

While the Sixers can typically expect a decrease in production when the six-time All-Star is off the floor, considering he’s one of the most dominant players in the game, Philadelphia has seen a steep drop-off in past playoff runs.

Reed made sure that wouldn’t be the case on Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets. With Embiid just checking in for 33 minutes on Saturday for Game 1, Reed picked up roughly 13 minutes on the court.

During that time, Reed made all but one of his six shots from the field, leading the bench in scoring with 11 points. He also came down with four rebounds, tying the reserve wing Jalen McDaniels for most boards off the bench.

Watching from the side during his break time, Joel Embiid was a fan of what he saw out of Reed on Saturday afternoon in Game 1.

“He was great,” said Embiid. “Like I said, him and PJ [Tucker], extra possessions. I thought he did a great job screening, rolling, playing out of that dunker, getting easy passes, and finishing.”

Of course, Embiid couldn’t leave the podium on Saturday without poking a bit of fun at Paul Reed’s play of the day, when he dribbled between the legs after a rebound and put the ball back up for a successful basket, which sent the Wells Fargo Center into a frenzy.

“He made a great move — behind the back that we probably don’t want to see again,” Embiid said while cracking a smile. “I’m just kidding. He can do whatever he wants. Whatever works, I guess he got to keep doing it, but it was great.”  

Reed and the Sixers’ bench outscored the Nets’ second unit 30-28 on Saturday. While the group of reserves has struggled at times throughout the regular season, the Sixers are in good hands so far after taking down the Nets 121-101 in Game 1. 

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