NBA Draft: LaMelo Ball goes first in 2020 NBA Redraft

To this point in our redraft, all eighteen players went in the first round of the original draft last November. For the first time, we reach past into the depths of the second round, selecting a player a handful of analysts pegged as a first rounder but who fell to 58th.

Paul Reed was one of the nation’s top defenders his final season at DePaul, and he brought that intensity and ability to the NBA as well. Per-36 minutes (obviously not a perfect measurement) Reed averaged 2.0 steals and 2.6 blocks to go with 12.4 rebounds.

At 6’9″ Reed can easily play the 4 and slide to the 5 in certain situations. He can guard on-ball but is also a maelstrom on the back line leaping into passing lanes.

Far from just a one trick pony, Reed has shown a fair amount of offensive potential as well. He scored 22.3 points per game in the G League Bubble with the Delaware Blue Coats, hitting 44.4 percent of his 3-pointers. In 31.5 minutes per game he also pulled in 11.9 rebounds and a combined 3.8 “STOCKs” (steals and blocks).

Reed will force his way into the Philadelphia rotation next season, whether or not Ben Simmons is still around. In our redraft the Detroit Pistons gain an extremely talented player who could leap higher when we do this again in a year. Reed has been that good thus far in his limited opportunities.