Who will lead the Philadelphia 76ers in scoring this season?
By Bret Stuter
Dark Horse
Markelle Fultz is the dark horse running for the scoring leader for this team. Yes, he’s just a rookie. Yes, he’s got plenty of talent around him, so he will not be expected to carry this team. But this young man is full of moves, jukes, shimmies, and shots that its impossible to keep him off this list. He’s my candidate for dark horse to lead the Sixers in scoring.
Okay, so I like the song too. It doesn’t dismiss the fact that Markelle Fultz has the potential to score a lot of points in the NBA, even as a 19 year-old rookie.
Purest offense on the team
The fact is that Markelle Fultz did not become a coveted draft pick for the Philadelphia 76ers to shovel the ball to others. He can do that quite well, and is unselfish to a fault. But when he sets his eyes on the basket, he has a full quiver of possible shots and moves to make that happen. And he is a natural at manufacturing his own shots.
It was that skill, the ability to excel with or without the ball, which brought his play into focus for the Philadelphia 76ers. This season demonstrates why. If he gets significant playing minutes, and can sustain his energy level for the entire season, he has a serious shot at scoring in the min-20’s.
He is the player who takes the ball and scores in critical moments. That says alot, but it’s a point that others are picking up as well. And so, if the dominoes fall the right way, Markelle Fultz could lead this team.
Next: Philadelphia 76ers need succession plan
In all honesty, it’s not important who as much it matters how much. The top scorer for the 76ers this year needs to be a solid mid 20’s. If two or three players hit the 20 points per game mark, so much the better.