NBA D-League Grinder Omar Reed To Play For Boston Celtics in Summer League

The Maine Red Claws had five player representatives in this past season's NBADL All-Star Game, all of whom started the contest. Despite all the star power (not including Celtics' assignee Fab Melo for much of the year), the Red Claws only just managed to sneak into the playoffs, snagging the eighth seed in the playoffs.

As some of the bigger names in all of the D-League failed to truly come together to bring a minor league championship to Maine, one of the team's more intriguing players fell under the radar a bit.

Perhaps laying low early on benefited Omar Reed, who fit in well amongst all of the bigger names because of his ability to mesh well, go with the flow, and be a strong team player. Grinding his way through practices, Reed steadily but surely saw his minutes per game increase as the year progressed.

Despite only averaging 5.4 points (on 46% from the field and 32% from deep) and 4.7 rebounds through 44 contests, Reed had emerged as the Red Claws' sixth man by season's end. He became known for doing all of the little things; helping his team spread the floor, playing steady defense, crashing the boards, etc.

Reed's the type of player who knows his role, and with other bigger name teammates also gracing the hardwood alongside him in Red Claws uniforms, all the pressure was off. Playing well, he may not have had many flashy performances, but his effort always stood out.

Perhaps it's for that reason that Reed will be playing for Celtics in Summer League this offseason during the Orlando session next week, RidiculousUpside.com has learned. As a member of the Red Claws last season, the swingman spent plenty of time around the NBA affiliate and its coaching staff. Up until recently, Boston may not have appeared to be an ideal landing spot for a young player on the up like Reed.

But with the likes of Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce all moving on, maybe Reed is the type of player worth taking a chance on in the long run. He already understands the Celtics' on the court style. Thus, he could stand to fit in seamlessly.

Of course, Summer League in Orlando will be the Celtics' first substantial opportunity to see what he can do against more worthy competition. With a chance to strut his stuff, Boston's Summer League session will be Reed's opportunity to prove he deserves another look in training camp as well.