Sixers Won't be Replacing Mike Scott With Paul Reed Anytime Soon
The Philadelphia 76ers are thin in-depth when it comes to their frontcourt. While it's certainly top-heavy with notable stars such as Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris, there's a noticeable drop-off when Embiid is out with an injury and Harris is resting.
Dwight Howard is a great backup for Embiid, but there's nobody behind him at this point. So, when Embiid's out, the Sixers tend to utilize the backup power forward Mike Scott in a small-ball lineup.
As expected, Scott struggles against opposing centers since, well, he's not a center. When it comes to backing up Harris at the four, though, Scott tends to struggle there often as well.
In 31 games this season, Scott has averaged just 4.1 points while shooting 34-percent from the field and knocking down just 33-percent of his threes on 3.2 attempts. Although he's got his injury concerns aside at this point, Scott still finds himself in shooting slumps more often than not.
A change could help the Sixers, but they don't have the personnel to replace Scott. While many have pounded the table for Doc Rivers to begin using the NBA G League MVP Paul Reed in Scott's position, the head coach makes it clear that's not going to be happening anytime soon.
When asked about the idea of possibly giving Reed some run in the starting lineup, Rivers mentioned he hasn't even thought about it. "I like Paul, but I don't think he's ready," Rivers said after Sunday's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. "Just straightforward."
Although Paul Reed has shown some nice flashes outside of the G League where he completely dominated, Rivers doesn't think the late second-round pick is ready to have his game translate from the minors to the pros. While Reed confirmed he's ready to take on the challenge of proving he can compete in the starting lineup at the NBA level, his head coach doesn't see it that way.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.
