The Sixer Sense
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Washington Basketball Markelle Fultz needs Brett Brown coaching

By Bret Stuter

Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the stage before the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 22, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; General view of the stage before the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 3, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Dario Saric (9) reacts with guard TJ McConnell (1) and guard Justin Anderson (23) after hitting two foul shots in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers won 105-102. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 3, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Dario Saric (9) reacts with guard TJ McConnell (1) and guard Justin Anderson (23) after hitting two foul shots in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers won 105-102. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Goal III:  Average 25.0 minutes per game

Markelle Fultz averaged 35.7 minutes per game in college, but played in just 25 games.  Now, he will need to pace himself for an 82 game season.

There is no reason to expect him to compete with Dario Saric or T.J. McConnell for over 80 games this season.  In fact, it would be wise to give him some games off as he builds up to NBA endurance.

But the more important playing stat is minutes per game.  And with a talented rookie guard who can easily slide in either as the point or shooting guard, he will need to get minutes when he sees the court.  He cannot be stuck hoping for minutes like Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot last season.

Time Management

Brett Brown is a pro at meting out time.  He prefers to give players nights off rather than sit them on a bench for impossibly few minutes. He’s had years of practice.  But he will need to work closely with Markelle Fultz.

Fultz is preparing to be a star for tomorrow. So he will not only need minutes, but KEY minutes. He will need to be sent into game winning scenarios until he earns his first buzzer beater like Robert Covington or T.J. McConnell.  Like the 2017 team, the team will find success much more readily after Brett Brown sees to Fultz winning a game.

Make no mistakes, earning the top spot in the 2017 NBA Draft is all talent of Markelle Fultz. But where that talent takes him from here is up to Brett Brown.  Right now, Brown is one of the best coaches at developing a player’s full potential in the league. And furthermore, Fultz needs everything iota of coaching Brown can send his way.

Next: Which Sixer is next year’s Rookie of the Year favorite, Simmons or Fultz?

Fultz can be good on his own. He’s proven that. But he has the potential to be one of the best the NBA has ever seen.  In summary, to get there, he needs the coaching discipline, patience, and persistence for the next couple of years. On one hand,  Fultz is the perfect clay. On the other hand, Brown is the master sculpture. In the end, building an elite basketball player is an artform.