While Markelle Fultz’s offensive game fits seamlessly with the Philadelphia 76ers’ current core, his defensive potential isn’t something we should overlook.
The last couple of days have been a whirlwind for both the Philadelphia 76ers and fans alike. After a handful of weeks debating the Josh Jackson debacle, Markelle Fultz is suddenly the irrefutable option at one — and the team only gave up two picks to get there. Fultz will be joining a core of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, sparking the Sixers’ perimeter offense while giving them the third staple in one of the more gifted triads in the league.
A Royal Pain
Yet for all the hype surrounding Fultz’s offensive game, his defensive potential has gone vastly underrated. Standing at 6-4 with a 6-10 wingspan, Fultz’s combination of length and athleticism gives him a unique sense of upside on that end — upside that no guard outside of Frank Ntilikina can match in this year’s class.
The oddity in lauding his defensive potential is the fact that defense has been one of Fultz’s most criticized weaknesses as a prospect. With such a well-rounded offensive repertoire, many pointed to his laziness when pushing through screens and occasional unwillingness to get into a proper stance as a sign of defensive ineptitude. He seldom seemed engaged on that end of the floor, and that was perhaps the only negative that genuinely gave people qualms when looking at Fultz’s game.
Taking those struggles at face value, though, is a mistake. He most certainly underwhelmed on that side of the ball, but projecting NBA success on the defensive end rarely comes down to one’s success in that department at the collegiate level. It’s about the tools more so than the production. College athletes are different, and players’ situations — especially ones who are towards to the top of the lottery — are wholly separated from the likeness of NBA play.
Fultz carried an inordinate offensive load for a Washington team that lacked talent on that side of the ball. He averaged 23.2 points and 5.9 assists per contest, all while providing the only reliable option — both in regards to scoring and playmaking — for a Huskies team that was poorly coached. With all the energy he put into stabilzing their offensive presence, his defensive energy was bound to sag off.
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It’s something we see in the NBA on a yearly basis. James Harden carries the bulk of Houston’s offensive burden, and his defense is in turn limited. Russell Westbrook took on an even larger load in lieu of Kevin Durant‘s departure, and played his worst defense in years as a result. Offensive load is disproportionate to defensive load for most point guards — and Fultz was an excellent example of that.
He was also in a losing situation on a team that was essentially his gateway to professional basketball. When he’s carrying their offense and the team consistently finds themselves down by double digits, defense will once again tend to deteriorate.
That’s where joining the Sixers gives Fultz what is arguably his best chance to excel on the defensive end. Not only does he have the tools to do so, but he’ll be placed into a position where he doesn’t need to press on the offensive side of the ball.
He’ll be able to work off the ball in heavy doses alongside Ben Simmons, while Embiid gives him yet another high octane scorer to share the floor with. He’ll have quality talent to aid him in shouldering both the scoring and playmaking load, and that in turn affords him more energy to invest elsewhere on the court.
We’ve already seen flashes of Fultz’s potential on the defensive end. From his impressive chasedown blocks in transition to the occasional flashy steal, his length allows him to impact shots and alter plays across the spectrum when engaged.
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He’s strong enough to switch at will along the perimeter, while his long arms and excellent instincts allow him to slither his way into passing lanes with relative ease. He also makes heady plays at multiple spots on the court, understanding when to help and positioning himself for success when he’s committed to doing so.
On a Sixers team that can promote both a winning culture and a less strenuous workload offensively — not to mention Brett Brown’s prowess as a defensive coach — there’s reason to expect some significant leaps from Fultz come next season.
He’s also entering a Sixers rotation that’s well built for defensive success. He’ll have one of the league’s best rim protectors behind him in Embiid, while Simmons himself projects as a versatile, switch-heavy defender if he can rectify many of the same issues Fultz had while at Washington. Robert Covington will join Simmons on the wing, giving the Sixers another long body with active hands and multi-positional ability that quietly made him one of the league’s better two-way role players last season.
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Fultz’s length will give the Sixers the chance to move fluidly around the court defensively, all while his potential — if maximized — could give Philadelphia another elite defender in a rotation that’s quickly becoming characterized by it’s defensive merits. Fultz’s lax defense yielded 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game last year. It’s worth continually reemphasizing the fact that the tools, and the ability, are already in place.
The Sixers are in a great spot moving forward. Assuming good health for both Embiid and Simmons, they now have the presumed best talents in three of the last four draft classes — all while their assets, in some form or another, can still yield promising players for the next couple of years.
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They’re about to start playing aggressively in free agency, while their now-youthful core will eventually get their feet wet in the NBA. We could see a team that’s building towards a championship. It’ll be an interesting to see what happens as The Process takes off it’s training wheels.