Markelle Fultz sets own pace on Philadelphia 76ers roster

Markelle Fultz will start on the Philadelphia 76ers roster.  But his rookie season will be more than stats or minutes. On Coach Brown’s team, a player sets his own pace

Prescribing the Philadelphia 76ers roster, the amount of playing time, who starts and who comes first off the bench, all makes great provocative and intriguing conversations in the off-season. Some argue the speculation as though it’s already historical fact. Some consider it a test of one another’s basketball acumen. Still others wade into the conversation as casual fans, expressing opinions from a mere curiosity standpoint.  We can discuss the future of Ben Simmons, Dario Saric, Robert Covington , J.J. Redick, Jerryd Bayless, and even Markelle Fultz , and from this vantage point the only true proof is to await the arrival of the season.

But in the flurry of “my rookie is better than your rookie”, we’re all tempted to promote the top selection of the 2017 NBA Draft Markelle Fultz in measurable definable statistics which outshine those of other rookies. And on this team, that isn’t where his value lies.

Markelle’s true magic

The true magic of Markelle Fultz’s play is his proficiency to do so many things well.  On one hand, one night, he can score 35 points. On the other hand, on the next night, his quick handed reactions may lead to five blocked shots.  And finally, on the third night, his nose for the ball may lead to 12 rebounds.

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But on any given night, he will not be expected to carry the team. No rookie should have that burden. Head coach Brett Brown won’t let it happen on the Philadelphia 76ers team.  The Philadelphia 76ers are still getting used to one another. As players congeal, Fultz becomes that magical NBA duct tape to pull it all together.   Embiid in the paint, Simmons as the facilitator, Redick as the long range marksman, Covington defending, and Fultz fills in the roles as the game dictates.

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Roller coaster season

Fultz will have great games.  But there will be the occasional rough outings as well.  In an 82 game season, they are bound to happen. It’s all part of the learning curve.  The dialogue with Coach Brown may necessitate his sitting for a game or two to process lessons he is exposed to in practice and on the basketball court.

Recall how Ersan Ilyasova‘s arrival to the 76ers helped the development of Dario Saric immensely. So too will the team likely slide in Jerryd Bayless to absorb a start on back-to-backs. Coach Brown may want to see how the chemistry develops between Fultz and some of the other players on the team.

Still congealing

The Philadelphia 76ers are not a done deal yet.  The team once more will likely debut a new starting lineup.  As the team settles in to who plays which role, younger players like Markelle Fultz will gravitate to their own natural fit on the team.  Markelle Fultz will likely end the season with incredible statistics, and there will be no doubt that he was the right choice for this team.

But that is all the future to him now.  He will grow into the role which has yet to be defined by the team.  Let him grow up organically in his rookie season for the Philadelphia 76ers.

The season will likely open with a great deal of conversations about who is the top rookies of the 2017-2018 season.  The NBA draft yielded a large number of basketball players who should be in that discussion.

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Markelle Fultz will be a great player for the Philadelphia 76ers. But we’ve learned all too quickly that the NBA does not always share the enthusiasm for Philadelphia players that Sixers fans do. That doesn’t devalue his performance. It merely adds more fuel to the fire.