Markelle Fultz deserves patience

By Christopher Kline | May 17, 2018

BOSTON, MA - MAY 3: Markelle Fultz #20 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up before the game against the Boston Celtics during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 3, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Before you criticize the Philadelphia 76ers’ decision to trade up for Markelle Fultz, give him enough time to prove his worth.

Around this time last year, one thought dominated the minds of Philadelphia 76ers fans: THE PICKS SWAPPED. With Sacramento moving into the top three, the Sixers were able to add yet another high-end lottery pick to their budding young core.

Then Bryan Colangelo built on that momentum with a blockbuster trade, sending out the No. 3 pick and another future pick in exchange for the top spot in the 2017 NBA Draft. The Boston Celtics reportedly wanted Jayson Tatum all along, and the Sixers got their guy — an elite three-level scorer with playmaking chops.

That’s where the Markelle Fultz saga began.

More from Sixers News

I won’t bore you with the details of how Fultz’s shoulder got hurt or how the timeline of events played out, mainly because we don’t actually know what happened. Whether it was changes to his shot that caused the pain or pain that led to changes in his shot doesn’t really matter. What matters is the fact that he can’t comfortably shoot jumpers outside 15 feet.

Fultz missed most of the season with scapular muscle imbalance in his right shoulder, struggling through the first four games and then coming off the bench for the last 10. During the latter stretch, however, Fultz did show some promise. Perhaps enough promise to alleviate some of the concerns about his future.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen a handful of folks — both in the national media and online — claiming that Fultz is a bust or giving some variation of that take. Jayson Tatum lighting up the Sixers in the conference semis didn’t exactly help.

But those takes, as I expressed in our most recent mailbag, are premature. Bryan Colangelo said he doesn’t have ‘buyer’s remorse‘ over the decision to trade up for Fultz, and he shouldn’t at this point in the process.

Rookie point guards generally need time to adjust. Lonzo Ball, who many praised as a basketball prodigy with unmatched feel and basketball I.Q., was flat-out bad for solid chunks of the season. He shot 36 percent from the field, and the Lakers might still take him second overall in a re-draft.

You have to give rookies time. Don’t let the unprecedented success of guys like Ben Simmons, Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum skew your analysis.

Fultz is still learning how to play at the NBA level and his shoulder still isn’t fully healthy. He’ll have an offseason of rehab and workouts to get better, so hopefully next season we begin to see where his career arc is heading.

Until then, though, don’t label Fultz as a bust or question Colangelo’s decision to trade up. Even in his 10 jumper-less games to end the season, Fultz showed the passing acumen and at-rim finishing that popped off the screen during his collegiate days.

His talent is still there. If he’s able to restore his jumper — which is admittedly questionable due to the lack of precedent for Fultz’s injury — he still has the makings of an All-Star guard. Maybe he won’t outperform Tatum, but that’s not yet a given. His skill set fills a glaring need for the Sixers’ offense as well.

Next: Sixers mailbag - Kawhi, PG13 and lottery picks

Give it time and let him get right, both physically and mentally, before making final judgments.