Philadelphia 76ers: Is Philly failing Markelle Fultz?

The Philadelphia 76ers’ former No. overall 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft could have much more to offer in a different role

The first week of the NBA season was proof as to where the Philadelphia 76ers stand as a team. Despite going 2-1, the loss to the Boston Celtics to start the season shows that there is still work to do before Philadelphia can be considered an elite team. The biggest improvement necessary for the Sixers to take that next step is the development of Markelle Fultz.

The former No. 1 draft pick has done his part so far. He’s used the offseason to get healthy. The mental block that caused him to forget how to shoot a basketball last season appears to be gone. He’s averaging eight points, 4.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds a night to start the year.

Those numbers aren’t incredible at all. But what can you expect from a 20-year-old who isn’t getting consistent playing time?

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Coach Brett Brown has Fultz in the starting rotation, but he refuses to allow him to play starter’s minutes. In the first game of the season against Boston, Markelle logged 21 minutes in the first half and played a mere three minutes in the second half. Perhaps coach Brown decided to lean on T.J. McConnell because of his history against the Celtics in last year’s postseason.

Rookie Landry Shamet may have logged more minutes than Fultz in the second half because he’s a better jump shooter. That’s a tough argument to make, however, when Shamet finishes the game 0-4.

The only way that Fultz is going to grow is if he’s actually playing significant minutes throughout the course of the game. The Sixers appear to be overcompensating for his shortcomings. The fans may not be helping either, rising to their feet when Fultz knocks down a simple jumpshot that any NBA guard should be able to hit.

Additional minutes in the starting rotation may not be the answer for Fultz. Ben Simmons is clearly the better ball handler, which forces Fultz to play the off-guard position. It’s evident that Fultz isn’t comfortable at that spot. He appears to just walk through the motions whenever the ball isn’t in his hands. I can’t blame him. There isn’t much reason for a guard, who’s 1-4 from the 3-point line in two seasons, to spot up on the perimeter.

Fultz’s current position in the starting lineup isn’t just hurting his own growth, but it’s affecting the production of the team. The 76ers were seventh in offensive efficiency last season and second to only the Warriors in assist percentage. Thanks in large part to Simmons, the Sixers only slid one spot in assist percentage to start the season, but the offensive efficiency has dropped to 18th. Sure, it’s a small sample size just a week into the season. But if the only change to the starting lineup is Markelle Fultz, you have to wonder if it’s the right move.

Markelle Fultz would be better served as the leader of Philadelphia’s second unit. In that role, he can rely on the areas of his game where he is comfortable at this stage in his development. He can control the ball handling, drive to the basket and create open looks for either T.J. McConnell, Landry Shamet or J.J. Redick.

Perhaps the Sixers are worried about the perception that comes with making Fultz the permanent sixth man. After all, he was the number one draft pick. But Brett Brown was an assistant coach with the Spurs for so long, and he saw the importance of a guy like Manu Ginobili up close. You would think that he’d be the first one on board to bring Markelle off the bench.

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As long as the Philadelphia 76ers continue to limit the minutes for Markelle Fultz, it’s going to be difficult to determine his true talent level. The uncertainty surrounding his role not only stunts his growth, but may prevent the Sixers from elevating to legit championship contenders.