CAMDEN, N.J. — Paul Reed is in for a big season with the Philadelphia 76ers. He, along with the rest of the Sixers, can already feel the difference between the regime of new head coach Nick Nurse and former head coach Doc Rivers.

The biggest difference that Nurse and the Sixers' new coaching staff want out of Reed is for him to become more of a perimeter shooter. It was not something that Rivers looked for him to do on a consistent basis. That jumper will be key for him as Nurse looks to make him more well-rounded as a player. Although he showed lots of promise in the G League, he has to get it up to NBA speed to become the Swiss army knife Nurse is trying to make him into.

When asked about his desire to get more opportunities to shoot threes after the Sixers' Tuesday practice, Reed said that he is still trying to find his rhythm within the flow of the offense.

“The most important thing is when I'm open, not hesitating and just letting it fly and realizing where my shots are going to come from and when are they going to be available,” Reed said. “I mean, it's kind of new for me. Last season, if I was taking threes, I probably wouldn't have played for like 10 games. This year, they want me to shoot the ball more. So, I'm still making that adjustment and just realizing where my shots are going to come from within the offense.”

After Reed spoke with the media, he went right back to work, getting some shots up from the corner. He said that the encouragement from the coaching staff and not having to fear any repercussions makes him “a lot more comfortable” getting those looks up.

As the backup to Joel Embiid, Reed will have to keep up his prowess on the defensive end and on the boards. Playing alongside him means that Reed must be comfortable shooting the ball when it comes his way. While he may not get there right away, Philly can be certain that it won’t be for a lack of trying.

The desire to get better always drives Reed. After the Sixers lost their preseason opener to the Boston Celtics, Reed fired off a message on Twitter/X that showed he wants to be better. He shot just 1-8 from the field with five points and four fouls. Reed said that he was simply looking to vent after playing a bad game.

“I kind of got down a little bit because I felt like I didn't play too good,” Reed said about his post, “but then I had to remind myself, ‘This is preseason. It's a long season ahead of us.’ And get greater later, because I know I'm gonna get better.”

Reed, who could be in for a breakout season in 2023-24, will get another crack at it on Wednesday night at the Sixers' preseason home opener, where they will again face the Celtics.