5 ways Philadelphia 76ers Markelle Fultz impacts Boston series

Philadelphia 76ers Markelle Fultz saw minimal time against the Miami Heat in round one. But round two opponent Boston Celtics offer a new opportunity. Here are five ways Fultz can impact playoffs semifinals round

Philadelphia 76ers young guard Markelle Fultz arrived young and raw to the NBA. In fact, his one-and-done NCAA basketball experience was more about scoring and off-ball raw skills than polished talent. So there is no reason to expect him to perform like a seasoned veteran. Despite coming back for the final ten games of the season, Fultz did not make much of an appearance in round one of the NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat.

That was a very physical series. And all the while Fultz’s limited appearances often found him matched up against bigger opponents like venerable Dwayne Wade.  In those matchups, Fultz appeared very green. Too green to continue learning hard lessons. Still, those few appearances give Markelle Fultz new perspective to train with in the gym.

2017 Draft revisited

But the Sixers now face the former holder of the number one pick of that 2017 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics. While the Celtics found a talented starter in small forward Jayson Tatum, don’t ignore the fact that he was forced into service by the untimely injury to small foward Gordon Hayward.  When Hayward returns, Tatum will likely come off the bench.  And while Tatum racked up minutes and points, Markelle Fultz rehabbed bad shot mechanics and scapular muscular imbalance. Something seems grossly uneven in the grand scheme.

While that is history, we have the spotlight on the future right now. A best of seven series between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. While the Celtics are a tougher team than the Miami Heat, and just as physical, there is some opportunity for the Philadelphia 76ers to enlist guard Markelle Fultz to make a positive impact in this series.  How? Well how about five ways? Let’s list them here: