Paul Reed stood out among many bench contributions for the Pistons in their first win of the season against the Rockets. In an unexpected twist to the depth chart, Reed played significant minutes and put together a nice stat line of 13 points, 9 rebounds and 2 big blocks. He showed that he's always ready to help the team win when his number is called.
Paul Reed is a great bench option
Since coming to Detroit last season, Reed has bought into his role as a defensive center and hard roller on offense. His scoring went down compared to his last season in Philadelphia, but his impact went up. In fact, he does a good job of approximating Isaiah Stewart's role: great defender with some surprise offensive talent that gets displayed every once in a while.
Against the Rockets, the largest team in the NBA, Reed probably expected some more playing time than usual. But he couldn't have foreseen Jalen Duren being ejected before halftime and Isaiah Stewart fouling out in just 17 minutes of action. With no other choice, JB Bickerstaff called upon Reed to finish the game at center and he delivered.
Reed was solid on both ends of the floor, and helped the Pistons establish enough physicality to beat the Rockets at their own game. He secured 5 offensive rebounds to get second-chance looks for himself and teammates. And defensively, he was brilliant in suffocating the paint and finishing possessions.
After Stewart fouled out with 5:37 left in the game, Reed held down the fort for the rest of the game. In that final stretch, Reed consistently stymied Rockets at the rim, especially All-Star Alperen Sengun. Reed's biggest play of the game came when he blocked a potential game-tying layup from Sengun with 16 seconds remaining.
Reed showed the ability to play multiple defensive coverages well. At times, he would pressure Kevin Durant in a pick-and-roll to get the ball out of his hands before recovering to another Rocket. On other plays, he would drop back to protect the rim against any oncoming threats. He even defended the perimeter decently well against forwards. Reed's defensive versatility will pay dividends throughout the season and give Bickerstaff some more flexibility in his minutes.
Offensively, Reed also showed a bit of his juice. His offensive rebounding was obviously a plus, but he was a solid finisher catching the ball down low in general. He even hit one three-pointer, awkward release and all, to give the Pistons another surprise contribution. The Pistons knew they would have to work hard to score against the Rockets, and Reed's offensive boost certainly helped in that regard. It was a great way to round out his great performance.