What can Markelle Fultz provide for the Sixers this season?
Once Markelle Fultz returns from his shoulder injury, he could make an immediate impact on the Philadelphia 76ers‘ biggest weaknesses.
After starting this season 13-9, the Philadelphia 76ers have quickly come back to Earth. They’ve lost seven of their last eight games, with four of those losses coming to bottom-dwelling teams like the Suns, Lakers, Bulls, and Kings.
A large portion of the fanbase seems to believe this is a coaching issue, when in reality, this skid is due to a lack of talent. Joel Embiid missed four of the previous eight games, and the rest of the roster isn’t strong enough on their own.
Bryan Colangelo has slowly added role players to this team over the last two years. This group includes Jerryd Bayless, Justin Anderson, J.J. Redick, and Amir Johnson. However, each one of them is a complementary piece, unable of creating their own offense. Colangelo signed each player with the intention of playing them off of the ball, while Ben Simmons created the majority of the offense. This idea is now a reality, and it has become a burden for Simmons.
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I love the concept of Simmons as the primary initiator with shooters spread out on the wings, and of course Embiid controlling the paint down low. But with no secondary handler to give Simmons some relief, he becomes sluggish and more predictable with each possession. As a non-shooter, defenses already have an idea of where Simmons is headed with the ball.
This year’s Sixers are in desperate need of more ball handling. They need another guy who can create his own shot. Robert Covington is an ideal“3-and-D” wing, but he’s certainly an off-ball player. J.J. Redick and Jerryd Bayless are experienced spot-up shooters, but they’ve proven to be poor ball-handlers and mediocre decision-makers. On top of this, both are below-average perimeter defenders who are incapable of switching onto larger opponents.
Giannis Antetokounmpo functions very similarly to Simmons in Milwaukee’s offense. He’s the primary initiator, but he has the benefit of Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton creating offense as well. That is exactly where Markelle Fultz fits in.
How does Fultz’ skill set help the Sixers right away?
Fultz is a quality ball-handler equipped with advanced dribble moves for his age. In the four games Fultz played, he displayed an ability to get to the rim at a respectable rate. Once he becomes more acclimated to the size and speed of the NBA game, he should be able to create a lot of opportunities from penetration.
As for Fultz’s early shooting woes, I remain very optimistic. When you go back and look at his shooting form in those four games, he was trying to keep his right shoulder as low as possible, while relying on his left arm to raise the ball up. I see this as a clear indication that his shoulder was affecting his shot, and the Sixers made a PR nightmare out of a standard injury.
Markelle’s biggest strength in college was his self-created scoring. He led a Washington team that was deprived of shooting, ball-handling, and general basketball talent. Yet Fultz still posted efficient shooting numbers on high volume.
I’m not buying the “yips” theory. He is a 19-year-old point guard who hurt his shoulder and dealt with the situation like a teenager. Even if Fultz continues to struggle shooting from deep, his sample at Washington gives me plenty of confidence that he’ll figure this out with time.
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So what is the most important skill Fultz brings right away? He has the ability to create his own shot and, to put it simply, score the ball. When the Sixers’ offense stalls out on a possession, it usually ends with a bad shot from someone not named Simmons or Embiid. For example, Dario Saric is a gifted passer and a good ball handler for his position, but he lacks the shake and quickness to beat his defender to the rim.
This situation really becomes evident towards the end of games when defenses cut off Ben Simmons’ path to the rim. With Fultz on the floor, the Sixers will finally have a dynamic guard who can create instant offense and lessen the load for Simmons.
Even Fultz’ off-ball cutting will be a useful skill for this team. His instincts off the ball at Washington were underrated since he was usually the one initiating the offense. His constant movement will help keep the offense fluid when the Sixers stall out.
Markelle is also 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, so he has the physical tools to be a valuable defender. He still has a long path to becoming a plus defender, but for the time being, his length will be extremely valuable to Philly’s defense.
By no means am I saying that a 19-year-old rookie is the solution to all of the Sixers’ short-term problems, but he brings strengths on both sides of the ball that will make an impact immediately.