Not a mirage, he’s Markelle
Let’s take a step back and refocus not on what we do not have, but what we do have.
Air Alamo
In the 2017 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers drafted Washington guard Markelle Fultz. That selection was not reactionary, nor was it about running with a pack of analysts who touted Fultz as the next great NBA player. The Philadelphia 76ers had three very tangible and distinct needs.
I – The player required versatility. Not only must he be able to run the floor, but play equally adept off-ball.
II – The player had to possess excellent shooting skills. He had to have an ability to penetrate to the basket, but possess an accurate perimeter shot.
III – The player needed very good and balanced overall skillsets. This player must not be so skewed in either offense or defense as to leave the other skills lacking.
So let’s see how the field stacks up?
Predraft measuring of prospects
So the true measure of prospects has to be taken from the predraft perspective, not now that the season is well underway. So let’s analyze the top candidates:
Lonzo Ball I – (C- ) II – (A-) III – (B-)
De’Aaron Fox I – (B-) II – (B) III – (A-)
Josh Jackson I – (B+) II – (B-) III – (A)
Jayson Tatum I – (B) II – (B) III – (A)
Malik Monk I – (B-) II – (A-) III – (B-)
Markelle Fultz I – (A) II – (A+) III – (B-)
As far as “fit” for the Philadelphia 76ers needs, the projection of Markelle Fultz was nearly a bullseye in every category. The only area of “coaching up” projected was Fultz’s defense. But he played in a college scheme where defense was not emphasized. And at 19 years of age, those deficiencies were not a blemish on anyone’s scoring. But enough of “theory”, let’s put some of those discussions to paper.