Paul Reed spent the first few months of the 2022-23 NBA season largely buried in head coach Doc Rivers’ rotation. He played only 422 minutes in 44 games prior to the All-Star break and racked up 13 DNPs over that stretch.
After the Feb. 9 trade deadline, Rivers vaulted Reed ahead of Montrezl Harrell as his primary backup center. In his 25 regular-season appearances after the All-Star break, Reed racked up 6.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in only 13.3 minutes per game while showcasing far more defensive versatility than Harrell ever did.
Reed has carried that momentum right over to the playoffs.