The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Ranking the Philadelphia 76ers’ 5 best defenders

By Rusty Gorelick

The Miami Heat's Goran Dragic, right, has his shot blocked by the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid late in the fourth quarter in Game 4 of the first-round NBA Playoff series at the AmericaneAirlines Arena in Miami on Saturday, April 21, 2018. The Sixers won, 106-102, for a 3-1 series lead. (Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images)
The Miami Heat's Goran Dragic, right, has his shot blocked by the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid late in the fourth quarter in Game 4 of the first-round NBA Playoff series at the AmericaneAirlines Arena in Miami on Saturday, April 21, 2018. The Sixers won, 106-102, for a 3-1 series lead. (Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images) /
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No. 5: Markelle Fultz

2017-18 defensive stats: 0.9 steals, 0.3 blocks, 0.8 defensive box +/-, 0.4 defensive win shares

The 2017 first-overall draft pick cracks the top five ahead of T.J. McConnell even though he has only played 14 professional games. Even though T.J. has given his all on both ends through the worst parts of the Process, he misses out because his lack of athleticism gets exposed against quick players in the halfcourt.

Fultz, on the other hand, has the speed to keep up with quick guards and the length and size to defend wings, and that versatility adds to his value. His 7-foot wingspan is another perk, and if Brown decides to pit the University of Washington product against smaller guards, he should rack up lots of deflections.

In college, the 6-foot-4 combo guard averaged 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks in a challenging Pac-12 conference, and he also posted a defensive box plus-minus of 1.4 in his lone year as a Husky. Once the fact that his Washington squad won just nine games that year is taken into consideration, Fultz’s already solid numbers should impress even more.

The 20-year-old will take over the minutes off the bench now available as a result of Marco Belinelli returning to the Spurs in free agency earlier this summer. That’s a clear upgrade for Philly, and with Fultz and the next guy coming off the bench, there should be less blown third quarter leads.