The Sixer Sense
Fansided

The debut of the real Markelle Fultz

By Michael Bronson

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 26: Markelle Fultz #20 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball up the court with Joel Embiid #21 trailing him in the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Wells Fargo Center on March 26, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 26: Markelle Fultz #20 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball up the court with Joel Embiid #21 trailing him in the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Wells Fargo Center on March 26, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia 76ers finally got their No. 1 pick back Monday night.

The Philadelphia 76ers took Markelle Fultz with the top pick in the 2017 NBA draft. While the decision to trade one future lottery pick to move up two spots in the draft was met with praise, many months later has turned it into the only disappoint in a season that likely exceeded even the most optimistic fans’ expectations.

But at 7 PM on March 26, all the talk about Fultz being a bust were put to rest.

"“It’s not just that Fultz is only making 50 percent of his free throws with is his new and unimproved free throw shooting form, it’s that he hasn’t attempted a single 3-pointer through four games.In college, 29 percent of all his shot came from behind the 3-point line and he made 41 percent of them. Of the 27 shots Fultz has taken over four games, 11 of them were taken five feet or less from the basket, nine were between 5-9 feet, and seven were between 10-14 feet. Fultz is shooting 54.5 percent from less than 5 feet,, 11.1 percent from 5-9 feet, and 28.6 from 10-14 feet.More from Sixers News3 Sixers players who could help Team USA Basketball76ers 2k24 ratings: 3 most underrated players on Philadelphia roster76ers head coach Nick Nurse bares lofty plans for Paul Reed this seasonGrade the Trade: 76ers swap Tobias Harris for superstar PG in mock dealBreaking Down Bombshell Report on Sixers Star James HardenFultz made 53.5 percent of his shots in college and is making 33 percent of his shots in the NBA and is only averaging 1.8 points more per game while playing 6.2 more minutes per game than the rookie season of possibly the worst bust in NBA draft history Anthony Bennett.”"

The above quote is from this article I wrote recommending the Philadelphia 76ers bench Markelle Fultz until he’s healthy. As someone that was impressed by Fultz in college and thought he would be the perfect fit next to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, watching him play without his signature jumper was painful.

I expect most NBA fans never saw Fultz play for a Washington Huskies team that finished the season with nine wins and 22 loses, so with rookies Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum making significant impact on playoff teams, it’s understandable that people would think Bryan Colangelo made a mistake taking Fultz.

Seeing how bad Fultz was earlier in the season and having no idea how long it would take for him to get his jumper to a level similar to the way it was when he was drafted, I was originally going to write an article this week asking the Sixers to announce that Fultz wasn’t going to play again this season.

With the Sixers trying to get home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs and hopefully winning at least one series, I didn’t believe Fultz could contribute enough to a playoff team with a jumper that was no longer broken but couldn’t be considered a strength.

Must Read: Fultz helps solve the Sixers' two biggest issues

Luckily, the Sixers announced that Fultz would be playing against the Denver Nuggets before I finished writing that article and the Fultz I saw in college made his NBA debut that game.

Fultz ended the Sixers’ 123-104 win over the Nuggets with 10 points, eight assists, and four rebounds. While Fultz making perfect passes after missing 68 games was impressive, the whole game I was waiting for him to take a 3-point shot or mid-range jumper.

I was happy when Fultz took his first mid-range jump shot and his shooting form looked good despite him air balling the shot. But the two mid-range jumpers he made, one that was assisted by the rim and the other nothing but net, showed that he truly has regained his elite ability to make pull-up jumper with or without a hand in his face from at least 10 feet out.

Next: Tanking advice from Sixers fans

The Fultz that showed up last night against the Nuggets is a player that could really make a difference in the playoffs despite being a rookie with less than 20 games of experience, and that’s something that should excite Sixers fans and show the NBA why he was the top selection in the NBA draft.