Markelle Fultz’s commitment to defensive improvement is promising
Markelle Fultz’s biggest weakness at the collegiate level was defense, and the Philadelphia 76ers rookie seems to be committed to fixing that issue.
The Philadelphia 76ers made the obvious choice on Jun. 22, selecting Washington guard Markelle Fultz with the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Fultz now enters the league as one of the most proficient offensive rookies in quite some time, boasting a combination of polish and control that doesn’t often package itself in a 19-year-old point guard.
Philadelphia 76ers
He was lauded consistently for his lack of concerns on that side of the ball during the pre-draft process, with many dubbing him the best point guard prospect since Kyrie Irving — and rightfully so. Defense, however, was more of a concern, as Fultz’s lack of effort and occasional mental lapses made him prone to exploitation on that end of the floor. Standing at 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, the physical tools are obviously in place. It’s just a matter of whether or not he’s willing to commit on a possession-by-possession basis.
In a recent interview with Keith Pompey, that seems to be the case.
"“I want criticism that’s going to make me better as a player to help this team, so once you step out here in Vegas, I’m working on my defense.”"
While there’s some meaning behind that quote at face value — Fultz wants to work on his defense — that’s not necessarily the most promising aspect of that statement. It’s the fact that he wants criticism.
It’s not often that you hear the first overall pick say he wants the coaches to critique his every move, and perhaps that’s where Fultz differs from most top picks. Fultz was a late bloomer, working his way through the J.V. system before scratching his way onto the varsity team at the basketball hub of DeMatha High School.
Hard work and a late growth spurt were what propelled him to not only the McDonald’s All-American game, but a Division I scholorship — something that, early in his high school career, didn’t seem reasonable. Philly is a city of hard work, and that’s why Fultz seems to jibe so well with everything going on in The Process. He’s wants to work and to compete on every possession, and that’s what this team needs around a two-way juggernaut like Joel Embiid.
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Fultz’s defensive problems weren’t for a lack of ability. He tallied 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game during his yearlong stay at Washington, impressive totals for a player who spends the majority of his time circling the perimeter. But for every chasedown block or broken up pass, he’d also lose an assignment and get beat backdoor by an opposing cutter.
It’s understandable for somebody who carried the offensive load that Fultz did to relax on the defensive end, but there are some valid worries in how that translates to the NBA game. He needs to fight through screens with more vigor while staying engaged with his man off the ball, rather than getting caught watching the ball handler.
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It’s those occasional blunders that made Fultz so unreliable in college, and it could very well be the barrier between being a defensive liability and an All-Defense caliber guard at the next level. Being open to criticism from the coaching staff is a significant step in the right direction, and something Sixers fans should be more than pleasured by.