The Philadelphia 76ers need to make some adjustments heading into Game 2. Should playing Markelle Fultz be one of them?
Markelle Fultz capped off the regular season with a triple-double, posting 13 points, 10 boards and 10 assists in the Philadelphia 76ers‘ 35-point victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. For the second time in his short career, he was showered with water after teammates swarmed him during the post-game interview.
At that point, it appeared as though the Sixers’ reigning No. 1 pick was locked into the playoff rotation. Then the Miami Heat happened.
While irritating more than anything else, the Heat did manage to play some solid defense throughout the first round. They had a few different players who could body up Ben Simmons and stayed physical with the Sixers’ shooters, even if the effort was futile.
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Philly eventually figured things out, bouncing back from a Game 2 loss and winning the next three. Simmons thrived, Joel Embiid returned to form, and the Sixers were back to their red-hot ways from deep. The only player who didn’t find much success was Fultz.
After a couple of games marred by turnover issues and a lack of reliable scoring, Fultz was benched in favor of T.J. McConnell. That worked in round one, and Brett Brown — at least for now — seems to be sticking with the latter against Boston in round two.
The Celtics’ exposed the Sixers’ lack of halfcourt creation in Game 1, though. Their large assortment of long, strong and versatile defenders kept Ben Simmons out of the lane and away from easy shots, while their defense on the Sixers’ shooters was highly effective.
Embiid was able to get his in the post, but the Sixers will have a hard time winning four games if he’s their only source of consistent offense. Getting their shooters good looks and hitting shots is the top priority, but some have called for Brown to insert Fultz in hopes of adding more halfcourt playmaking.
Brown himself said that Fultz isn’t “dead and buried.”
In theory, that makes sense. Fultz is a shifty ball handler whose capable of getting dribble penetration and finishing around the basket. He also displayed some impressive passing skills in the games he did play during the regular season.
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What allowed Boston’s defense to thrive, though, was their ability to take away players’ strengths. Using a combination of Al Horford, Semi Ojeleye and Marcus Smart, they were able to force Simmons into difficult shots and shut down some of the passing lanes he normally exploits.
Fultz struggled mightily with Miami’s physicality in the first round, hovering around the perimeter, dribbling into turnovers and becoming a non-factor scoring the ball. Boston is more than capable of deploying similar tactics and shutting Fultz out of the game entirely.
If ‘Kelle is willing to take — and ideally make — some pull-up jumpers, maybe there’s a case for playing him. That hasn’t been the case in the postseason, though, and there’s reason to believe that Boston’s defense would fluster him even more than what Miami threw at him.
Long term, I think Fultz is still one of the Sixers’ most valuable assets. The talent and upside that made him the No. 1 pick is still there, and there’s a good chance that he’s in the rotation permanently at the start of next season.
Next: 3 adjustments worth making in Game 2
For now, though, T.J.’s ball control and experience is more valuable on a team that’s trying to win a playoff series. I wouldn’t expect any changes.