Expectations for Sixers Two-Way Signings

Mandatory Photo Credit: Photo by Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire

Two-way contracts were first introduced into the NBA in 2017. They are intended for use in developing young talent if they are not yet fit for an NBA season. A player may have a two-way contract until their fourth season and may only spend a maximum of 45 days with their NBA team. However, the 45 day rule applies to a standard NBA season as opposed to the upcoming abbreviated one. The two-way concept has become a popular way to draft, sign, and develop young players; the improved quality of play in the G-League has only strengthened this concept. Teams are allowed two two-way contracts; the Sixers have locked in Paul Reed and Dakota Mathias.

While two-way players typically don't end up seeing many NBA minutes, this year may be a little different. In the shortened 2020-21 season, two-way players are able to be active for up to 50 games out of a total of 72. In any professional sport, there are risks of losing players to injury or illness. However, the probability is heightened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With risks related to exposure to the virus, two-way players may have a chance at more playing time than in seasons past.

Paul Reed

College Ball

The 6'9, 220lb forward out of DePaul is an exciting prospect with strong athletic ability and potential. In his last season, Reed averaged 15.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 1.9 steals; this was enough to convince the Sixers to select him with the 58th pick in the draft.

Reed was talked about extremely highly by many NBA scouts leading up to the draft. He is a late bloomer as he played college ball for 3 years; his minutes and stats improved each year. Reed earned the Big East Most Improved Honors his sophomore year. This is when he first began to see a significant increase in minutes on the court. Despite having a somewhat slight frame, Reed shows strong desire on the boards and goes to the ball. He should have little to no problem translating to the NBA.

What Paul Reed Brings to the Sixers

The biggest attribute of Reed's game lies on the defensive end. His wingspan measures to 7'2"; this helps him to get into passing lanes and produce the 1.9 steals and 2.6 blocks he tallied last season. Reed rotates well and his feet are quick enough to stay with smaller players in short bursts. He'll need to gain muscle to be a strong defensive anchor, but his mobility shows potential for him to play alongside Joel Embiid or Dwight Howard.

Reed also has reportedly been hard at work at improving his shooting. The potential for this in his game is there as he launched 1.8 three-pointers per game last season. His shot does not yet look natural and he only knocked down these shots at a rate of 30.8% but Reed shows a willingness to shoot; this has been something he spoke about improving on throughout the draft process. If Reed continues to build on this, he has promising potential as a stretch 4 and play off Embiid well.

Long-term, there is a lot to be excited about with Paul Reed. He may not ever grow into his body; standing at 6'9 it is fair to question if he can stand-up to other NBA big men. However, Reed can handle the ball better than most bigs and has no problem taking the ball coast-to-coast himself. So while most scouts have Reed locked in as a pure big-man, there is real potential for him to become a legitimate stretch 4. Defensively, he is NBA ready and the effort he'll bring on a nightly basis is enough for him to stay.

Purely looking at next year, it is unlikely Reed cracks the rotation on a regular basis. He'll be given a chance in games few and far in between; if injuries occur, he may climb up the depth chart. He'll need to polish his game beyond the raw athletic ability that he oftentimes relies on. In the limited NBA minutes that he does receive, look for Reed to make his mark on the defensive end. Snatching rebounds and blocking shots is where his impact will be felt; any improvements made on the offensive end are a bonus. Signing Reed to a two-way contract was a great move by the Sixers. Allowing him to get more minutes and develop in the G-league could pay some real dividends in the future.

Mandatory Photo Credit: Photo by Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire

Dakota Mathias

Dakota Mathias is perhaps the biggest question mark on the Sixers roster. Fans should be more eager for the his fit with the team than the talent that he brings. Mathias is a prototypical spot-up shooter who shot 42% from three-point range in his time at Purdue University.

Previously Play Experience

Dakota Mathias is now 25 years old and has spent time playing in Spain as well as showing promise in the G-League last year. Mathias lacks athleticism but is active off the ball which hides this and allows him to get open. He is a fairly good passer and handles the ball well for a guy of his playstyle. Dakota excels in the catch-and-shoot but is also able to create his own shot much better than one would expect.

In his past season playing with the Texas Legends of the G-League, Mathias averaged 18.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3 assists, and shot 40% from beyond the arc on 8.8 attempts per game. His numbers have been extremely efficient in showing his ability to score off the dribble and hand-off in addition to the catch-and-shoot that he was known for. The Texas Legends were more than 10 points better per 100 possessions when Mathias was on the court instead of on the bench. This magnitude of scoring that he carried leaves hope for him being able to sneak his was into the Sixers rotation.

Mathias in Philly

While his 6'4 frame forces him more into the combo-guard category, Mathias shares similarities with the playstyle of Furkan Korkmaz. He's is a better passer than Furkan and, if the Sixers are in need of a new-look ball-handler, he may be a guy that gets a chance. He also fits the mold of shooters that Daryl More loaded the new-look roster with. Dakota is well capable of getting the hot-hand if the opportunity arises and there is not a major drop-off between him and the current rotational bench pieces.

There is not much long-term potential of Mathias with the Sixers as this will likely be a one-and-done season with the team. This year will be just as much of a tryout for the other 29 NBA teams as it will be for the Sixers this year. There is also not as much short-term potential for Mathias as he faces much more competition for minutes than Paul Reed. It would be a surprise for Mathias to play more than a handful of minutes this year but, with so much uncertainty surrounding the season, do not fully count it out.

Sixers Two-Way Conclusion

Despite the new rules allowing for more playing time for the two-way guys, it seems unlikely that either one of these guys will be lighting up the stat sheets this season. There is a lot to be excited about regarding the potential of Paul Reed and the seamless fit with Dakota Mathias. Given the uncertainty this year, it is a huge positive to have these spots solidified. The Sixers have been successful in using two-way contracts to develop young talent in the past like Marial Shayok and Shake Milton, so it will have to be seen if either of these guys can outplay the low expectations they face.