Markelle Fultz got snubbed — again

Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz — even amongst his own rookie class — is getting overlooked on a far too consistent basis.

Markelle Fultz has been in a weird spot all offseason. He was the presumptive top pick throughout the collegiate season, and virtually every big board featured Fultz atop their rankings leading up to the draft itself.

Yet even with universal praise prior to the draft, Fultz has been hovering off the radar a bit afterwards. The Philadelphia 76ers made the bold move to trade up and select him, and now pundits and players alike seem to be overlooking his potential production next season.

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There are a handful of factors that have contributed to Fultz’s marginal support group. Outside of Philadelphia, Lonzo Ball has consumed the bulk of the media attention directed towards this year’s class. Fultz also missed out on Vegas Summer League almost entirely due to injury, meaning when Lonzo stole the spotlight, Fultz wasn’t there to take it back.

A combination of that hype and overemphasis on Summer League performances have led many to peg Lonzo Ball towards the top of most lists, whether it being betting odds or Rookie of the Year favorites. Dennis Smith Jr. also worked his way into those conversations via a strong Summer League — albeit that praise should have come well before he fell to ninth in June.

With Fultz getting phased out of those conversations more and more, the NBA Rookie Survey highlighted just how minimally people view Fultz’s chances of a strong, league-leading rookie campaign.

First is the Rookie of the Year vote, where Smith and Ball both finished ahead of Fultz. Ben Simmons was tied for fourth, receiving just a 5.7 percent vote. That was tied with Kyle Kuzma.

While Kuzma’s vote feels like the ultimate case of Summer League overreaction, we’ll focus on the mere fact that Fultz — who was, once again, the overwhelming favorite atop most draft boards — continues to be viewed as a secondary talent.

Countless talking heads have since pointed to Ball as the superior talent, while even the rookie class seems to be underrating Fultz’s prowess. He’ll share the court with more talent than Ball, but the opportunities will still come in droves.

Fultz is a far more proficient scorer, while his rebounding and assist totals should still be on par with above-average rookie guards. Ball impacts an offense like few players do, but his weaknesses far outweigh Fultz’s.

Smith is wholly deserving of being in this conversation, but Fultz should still hold the edge. For what it’s worth, the rookies have only correctly predicted the Rookie of the Year winner once before — in 2007, the first year the survey was taken.