The Detroit Pistons entered their recent matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder extremely shorthanded without the likes of Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris and Isaiah Stewart.
What many expected to be a blowout loss for Detroit turned into the Pistons putting together an encouraging performance, pushig the reigning NBA champions to overtime.
Along the way, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff got a prime opportunity to get a glimpse of potential impact players, who have been hidden in the depth chart for majority of the season.
One player in specific though who showed out is forward Paul Reed, and his impressive showing against OKC is yet another example of why he could be a secret weapon for Detroit when the postseason arrives.
Paul Reed thrives when given the opportunity
Reed landed a start for the Pistons on Monday, and to say he didn't disappoint would be an understatement.
The DePaul product put together an solid performance, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes, while shooting 7-for-13 from field goal range and 50% from beyond the arc.
The 6-foot-9 forward has suited up in 58 games for Detroit this season, but only logged an average of 13.7 minutes per game.
Still, averaging 7.4 points and 4.5 rebounds on 59.4% shooting from the floor, Reed had continuously stepped up to the plate when he's been called upon, which alone should be encouraging for the Pistons as the playoffs loom.
Reed's playoff role would be matchup dependent, but he's capable
Throughout the season, the Pistons' supporting cast has been among the biggest concerns for Detroit heading into the postseason.
While Reed may not directly answer the concerns about three-point shooting (although he's more than capable of stretching the floor), the 26-year-old is a frontcourt weapon that could perfectly complement Bickerstaff's squad in a series if offense was of need.
Obviously, when Isaiah Stewart eventually returns the frontcourt in the Motor City will become overcrowded once again, but even then, Detroit has to find a way to get Reed more minutes moving forward.
The more minutes for Reed, the more confidence he'll have and considering what he's shown when given extended opportunities throughout the course of the season, he's worth the consideration for an expanded role for Bickerstaff moving forward.
If Detroit can find a way to implement the versatile forward in the rotation, the Pistons could become even more dangerous with an extra weapon a part of the team's rotation, especially if they hope to knock down the playoff ceiling that was unfairly placed on them.