Smile, Philadelphia 76ers have 3 championship pieces on roster

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CHICAGO, IL – FEBRUARY 22: Markelle Fultz #20 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on from the bench in the second quarter against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on February 22, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Mystery of Markelle Fultz

The debate on Markelle Fultz wages on. Is he good or isn’t he? Was he worth moving up to one to get him in the 2017 NBA Draft, or will he be a bust? The young man became a top priority of the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2017 NBA Draft because he is unique. He delivers the right skillsets needed for the Sixers roster, and he has elite upside. But the fact is, we haven’t seen what he can really do on the basketball court.

But we did see what got him that reputation. We saw his play with the Washington Huskies, and how he created plays and scores on the fly. His talents were unmistakable then, just as Joel Embiid’s days with Kansas stood out on video, or Ben Simmons’ time at LSU. You can’t fake great play, even in the NCAA ranks. It either is, or is not. Fultz is.

Question marks

The two question marks for Markelle Fultz entering the NBA were: durability, and free throw shooting. While his absence from the court has only strengthened the durability concerns, he’s made use of the time to amplify his free throw accuracy. So let’s check off that box.

Markelle Fultz shooting a free throw. Brett Brown said he's been doing great on free throws in practice. #Sixers pic.twitter.com/XeuGRxEC9w
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) January 17, 2018

Now for the durability, and other questions. Let’s start off by acknowledging those questions are commonplace for rookies. Not much is known, so everything is a question mark. Fultz is following in the footsteps of Embiid and Simmons. Even up to the point of delivering excellent play in the NBA.