The Sixer Sense
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Markelle Fultz adds weight, Justin Anderson loses it

By Christopher Kline

BOULDER, CO - FEBRUARY 09: Washington's Markelle Fultz during warmups prior to their regular season Pac-12 college basketball game against Colorado on February 09, 2017, at the Coors Events Center in Boulder, Co. Colorado won the game 81-66. Fultz, who did not play in the game due to illness, is projected by many to be the top overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. (Photo by Marc Piscotty/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BOULDER, CO - FEBRUARY 09: Washington's Markelle Fultz during warmups prior to their regular season Pac-12 college basketball game against Colorado on February 09, 2017, at the Coors Events Center in Boulder, Co. Colorado won the game 81-66. Fultz, who did not play in the game due to illness, is projected by many to be the top overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. (Photo by Marc Piscotty/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia 76ers‘ offseason body sculpting continues as the regular season pushes closer.

Not many games are as physically demanding as the game of basketball. Each player puts in effort on both sides of the basketball, while the breaks are few and far between when compared to a sport like football. It’s constant cardio, and that means the players on the court — especially in a league that stresses up-tempo play — have to be in good shape.

The Philadelphia 76ers‘ offseason has been highlighted by physical improvements thus far, with Jahlil Okafor cutting weight and Ben Simmons adding an impressive amount of muscle to his frame. Both Okafor and Simmons have a point to prove this upcoming season, and their commitment to improved physique is almost as important as the skills they’ve (potentially) added along with it.

Jah and Ben aren’t the only two working on their frames, though. In recent social media posts, Markelle Fultz and Justin Anderson have shown off some new and improved measurements of their own.

Anderson’s weight has never been an issue, but trimming down could be a nice boost given his struggles last season.

The former Virginia standout already has the muscle needed to defend one through four with success, and that strength isn’t going away. It’s a matter of maxing out the functionality of those physical tools, which means keeping the body in the best shape possible. That’s what Anderson’s doing.

Fultz’s case is a bit different.

I’m operating under the assumption that Fultz hasn’t added 15 pounds worth of Chick-fil-A residual to his system, which means he has added even more muscle to an already-impressive frame.

At 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, Fultz is one of the better athletes in the 2017 class — and that’s without having the most explosive first step. He said during the Sixers’ Summer League run that his primary focus is improving his defense, which is something that nagged him during his run at Washington.

In terms of instincts, Fultz already has what it takes to defend at a high level. He sniffs out weakside blocks and finds his way into passing lanes at a higher rate than most rookies, it’s just a matter of whether or not he’s putting in the necessary effort.

By adding strength to his core, Fultz only increases his two-way upside. If he genuinely commits to playing both ends of the floor, that 6-foot-10 wingspan of his makes it easy for Brett Brown to switch between matchups at will. If he’s strong enough to handle guarding the occasional small forward, that’s something Philadelphia’s defense could leverage to their advantage.

Next: Embiid v.s. Jokic -- Two-way impact or offensive brilliance?

These are just a couple of improvements in a long line of promising developments for this Sixers team. Now it’s time to hope for a healthy Embiid come October.