Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz fate rests in Billy Lange’s hands

As Philaelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown focuses on managing the team and working for wins, the fate of top-pick Markelle Fultz has been delegated to coach Billy Lange

The plate for Philadelphia 76ers head coach is understandably full at the moment. On one hand, he has to manage the roster and figure out rotations. On the other hand, he must comprehend the ever changing matters of injuries, minutes restrictions, and defensive assignments.  Effectively, he pretty much has more work than time allows for him to accomplish. Still, there is that small matter of working to get the 2017 top-pick guard Markelle Fultz onto the basketball court. And for now, that all falls upon Assistant Coach Director, Player Development Billy Lange.

Coaching staff review

We ran our annual coaching staff review back in August 2017, and at the time had no idea of the magnitude of responsibility which would once again fall upon the player development coaching staff. The arrival of Markelle Fultz came with some foreshadow. Billy Lange took time to talk to fans regarding Fultz’s assignments.  And in his discussions, he understood the unfamilarity of Fultz to the new NBA environment.

As he discusses the Larry Drew II/Markelle Fultz dynamic, you can begin to understand the careful pace being fed to Fultz even that early. Bite-sized bits of scheme. Early indications of things to come.

But what about Lange?

The Philadelphia 76ers have a great track record of developing high-octane prospects.  But the full matter is that the future of the franchise is now arguably in the hands of a former assistant coach of Villanova. So let’s vet this guy a bit.  How good is he? Is he up to the responsibility?

The biography of Philadelphia 76ers player development coach Billy Lange is readily available on NBA.com.  But to keep you in the groove here, I’ll give you some highlights:

Billy lange passes with flying colors

Villanova Wildcats – Director of Basketball Operations (2001-2004)
US Naval Academy – Head Coach (2004-2011)
Villanova Wildcats – Associate Head Coach (2011-2013)
Philadelphia 76ers – Player Development Coach (2013-present)

So it’s a safe conclusion that Lange has had a hand, perhaps even a major contributor, to the incredible start of the careers to both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. But he’s also gaining a solid reputation among the Philadelphia 76ers coaching staff.  His work ethic, his basketball knowledge, and his ability to translate that experience and knowledge to developing players’ full potential are his super-powers.  He is doing such a great job, that the organization gave him the opportunity to stretch his coaching acumen by heading the Utah Summer League Team.

Summer league head coach to instructor videos

As the Philadelphia 76ers prepared for the NBA Summer League, the first order of business was to respond to the media questions all about Markelle Fultz.  That all came about when Lange found himself named as the head coach for the Summer League Team.

And the assignment seemed to put a favorable spotlight on the well versed coach.  After all, he was the coach who worked with Joel Embiid. And from that he has had a pattern of delivering good coaching videos on social media. And with so many young players cycling through, it’s good practice to record videos for reference.

Update videos

The 76ers have relaunched videos were sports writers Brian Seltzer interview Billy Lange to update fans about the team. This is video one:

And this is video two:

And this is video three:

They are all worth a look. So while you grab your popcorn and indulge in 76ers video interviews, I’ll move on.

Is Lange up to the task?

I was completely void of opinion before starting this article. I wanted the evidence, or the lack thereof, to persuade me.  I wanted to either believe in Billy Lange as the right man for the job, or feel so much anxiety as to let the emotions forge this article.

I am better than confident. I completely trust Lange.  Completely.

Building an NBA superstar runs in two lanes in social media. Some think it’s something high school teenagers are born with, and take the perspective that anyone can do it. Others consider the myriad of variables, and consider it nigh impossible. The truth is somewhere in the middle.   NBA Superstardom is an aggregate assembly of confidence, but the rational approach of leaving nothing to chance. Repetition, athleticism, focus, and passion are are mixed in just the right proportions to deliver a player capable of virtually anything.

Rookie repetition is the key

The part so many NBA rookies miss is that repetition part. But no rookie coached by Billy Lange.

An earlier article discussed what is behind the curtain for top-pick Markelle Fultz and his return to the NBA basketball court. He was a true chef of basketball, making up his moves as he went along. It served him very well in the NCAA.

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But in the NBA, the lack of choreography, and the inability to deliver the same move on demand, has worked against him. All the while, the 76ers continue to struggle against twitchy fast-stepping guards who drive constantly to the basket.  While I can’t say when Markelle Fultz will take the court, I can tell you this. Like the old commercials for Paul Masson wine, Billy Lange will make sure Fultz won’t step onto the court before his time.