Paul Reed didn’t play big minutes in the postseason, but it was enough to convince the Detroit Pistons that he could be their primary backup center.
They made that formality official yesterday by fully guaranteeing Reed’s contract for next season, which means he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of next year.
Reed wasn’t a big part of the regular season rotation, though he did appear in 65 games, 11 as a starter, mostly filling in for injuries or suspensions.
But Reed produced every time his name was called and offered a more versatile offensive game than Isaiah Stewart, which is one of the reasons the Pistons were comfortable trading Beef Stew away.
Reed also did something that neither Jalen Duren nor Stewart did, which is step up in the playoffs, and that was enough for the Pistons.
Paul Reed was the Pistons best center in the playoffs
Reed didn’t play much in the Orlando series, appearing in just four of the seven games for a couple of minutes each.
That changed in the second round against Cleveland, when both Duren and Stewart were terrible, opening the door for Reed to get 13 minutes a game.
It was only 13 minutes, but Reed showed plenty, putting up 11.4 points, 5 rebounds and an assist while shooting over 70 percent from the floor.
Compare that to Jalen Duren, who played 29 minutes a game and didn’t even average 10 points, and it makes you wonder why Reed wasn’t playing more than 13 minutes a game, as he was far more effective.
Reed is an awkward, herky jerky player with a weird shot, but he’s strangely effective around the rim and has a far more versatile bag than his counterparts.
He’s also a better-than-advertised defender who gets his hands on everything and makes plays defensively, so the Pistons hope they saw a future upgrade in those 13 minutes.
The bar for Pistons’ role players is how they perform in the playoffs, and Reed showed that he wasn’t scared of the moment and actually performed better under the spotlight.
This is the main reason the Pistons don’t want to cave on Duren, who has yet to show he can thrive in the postseason.
It’s not always about how much time you get on the floor, but what you do with it, and Reed showed the Pistons enough in 13 minutes a game to think he can play a much larger role next season.
Unfortunately, the Pistons can't extend his current contract, so Reed will hit free agency next offseason and may have set himself up for a much larger payday by then.
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