Lowe: 10 Things I Like and Don't Like (Fultz)

[Knightro]

8. Markelle Fultz hit-aheads

After one of the strangest sagas in recent sports history, it's kinda starting to happen for Fultz. He's shooting 56% on 2s, including a preposterous 50% on dicey shots between 10 and 16 feet from the basket -- an important shot for Fultz, since he is still gun-shy from deep. His jagged, herky-jerky off-the-bounce game confuses defenders. He can go from zero to 60 and back to zero in a blink, and he changes direction with an unexpected cadence.

When defenders duck under picks to keep Fultz out of the paint, he bobs back-and-forth behind his screener in a game of hide-and-seek until he senses an opening.

Orlando's offense is still just 24th in points per possession, but there are hints of improvement to come once they get Nikola Vucevic back. Their new starting five (with Fultz in place of D.J. Augustin) has scored about 111 points per 100 possessions -- equivalent to the fifth-ranked overall offense. Fournier is on the tear of his life. Injuries have forced the Magic to trend a little smaller, and that is probably healthy for their offense; the Fultz-Augustin pairing is plus-32 in 79 minutes.

One Fultz favorite: his Lowry-style hit-ahead passes.

https://media.video-cdn.espn.com/gifs/mp4/104_59.4_2Q_ORL_WAS_11_17_Fultz_2gif.mp4

Fultz is not one of those control freak point guards. If he sees a chance for Orlando to score against an unsettled defense, he's happy to pass the baton early. Sometimes, his target has no obvious path to paydirt. That's fine. Just rushing the ball up is valuable. It preserves mismatches that materialized on the previous possession. Backpedaling defenders are prone to mistakes.

There is also something undeniably stylish about underhanded hit-aheads -- another Fultz thing:

https://media.video-cdn.espn.com/gifs/mp4/447_439_1Q_ORL_WAS_11_17_Fultz_2gif.mp4

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28229609/ten-nba-things-like-including-rondo-lebron-combo

[fendilim]

Fultz has been a pleasant surprise, hopefully that shoulder isn't bothering him anymore. Which seems to be still sore given that there really is no reason to put him restricted minutes if he is healthy.

[NavalAviator94]

Leave it to Lowe to eloquently describe what we are all seeing. Best NBA writer there is.


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[drsd]

Orlando clearly has its PG of its future in Fultz.

[j-ragg]

Their new starting five (with Fultz in place of D.J. Augustin) has scored about 111 points per 100 possessions -- equivalent to the fifth-ranked overall offense.

This part was kind of surprising. I knew they were better than average and the bench stunk, but this really shows how bad the bench is.

[MagicFan101]

Fultz has been a pleasant surprise, hopefully that shoulder isn't bothering him anymore. Which seems to be still sore given that there really is no reason to put him restricted minutes if he is healthy.

Correction:

Fultz’s health and ability to contribute Day 1 has been a pleasant surprise.

Nothing about his talent is a surprise. What we have seen so far has been very good but what could be is special. Reaching that potential despite the setbacks will be a (very) pleasant surprise.

[MagicFan101]

Their new starting five (with Fultz in place of D.J. Augustin) has scored about 111 points per 100 possessions -- equivalent to the fifth-ranked overall offense.

This part was kind of surprising. I knew they were better than average and the bench stunk, but this really shows how bad the bench is.

This is why I am still dreaming of a Russell deal.

Fultz is a guard who can pair with others without issue over who gets to hold the ball longer. If these are the results with DJ as his sidekick, imagine Russell for years to come ...

Clearly Russell is not the only such option but seems to be the most established + gettable.

[j-ragg]

Their new starting five (with Fultz in place of D.J. Augustin) has scored about 111 points per 100 possessions -- equivalent to the fifth-ranked overall offense.

This part was kind of surprising. I knew they were better than average and the bench stunk, but this really shows how bad the bench is.

This is why I am still dreaming of a Russell deal.

Fultz is a guard who can pair with others without issue over who gets to hold the ball longer. If these are the results with DJ as his sidekick, imagine Russell for years to come ...

Clearly Russell is not the only such option but seems to be the most established + gettable.

Beggars can't be choosers, I hear ya. It's just that DAngelo pounds the air out of the ball. And when Fultz is off-ball he isn't useless but not ideal either. The guys that fit perfectly aren't available for a reason though so I'd talk myself into it if we got him.

[PrimeThyme]

If I was pairing Fultz with another guard I think a guard like Hield/Kennard would be much more ideal over somebody like D-lo who needs the ball in his hands as well. Kennard isn't a good defender but he is an absolute sniper and would help this team tremendously in that area. He doesn't need the ball in his hands either.

I doubt Detroit is looking to trade him but they do need forwards badly.

[zaymon]

If I was pairing Fultz with another guard I think a guard like Hield/Kennard would be much more ideal over somebody like D-lo who needs the ball in his hands as well. Kennard isn't a good defender but he is an absolute sniper and would help this team tremendously in that area. He doesn't need the ball in his hands either.

I doubt Detroit is looking to trade him but they do need forwards badly.

We have Fournier who is better than Hield and Kennard. Hield is better from 3 ( not this season), but he is smaller, worse finisher, worse passer, and worse defender. They are even roughly same age. Fultz/ Fournier pairing will be deadly both on offense and defense. We just need a sniper forward ( Okeke?) and our offence will be good. Its development season for us, right now we go as far as Fultz.take us. Thats how this team is build for better or worse ( i think better)

[NavalAviator94]

Their new starting five (with Fultz in place of D.J. Augustin) has scored about 111 points per 100 possessions -- equivalent to the fifth-ranked overall offense.

This part was kind of surprising. I knew they were better than average and the bench stunk, but this really shows how bad the bench is.

What surprised me was his comment about the Fultz/Augustin pairing being plus 32. Only 79 minutes though but surprising.


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[NavalAviator94]

If I was pairing Fultz with another guard I think a guard like Hield/Kennard would be much more ideal over somebody like D-lo who needs the ball in his hands as well. Kennard isn't a good defender but he is an absolute sniper and would help this team tremendously in that area. He doesn't need the ball in his hands either.

I doubt Detroit is looking to trade him but they do need forwards badly.

The more our guys realize that Fultz is the best decision maker the better games they will have and the more wins we’ll achieve. It’s the guys who can’t who need to hit the road but it’s still really early.


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[MagicStarwipe]

If I was pairing Fultz with another guard I think a guard like Hield/Kennard would be much more ideal over somebody like D-lo who needs the ball in his hands as well. Kennard isn't a good defender but he is an absolute sniper and would help this team tremendously in that area. He doesn't need the ball in his hands either.

I doubt Detroit is looking to trade him but they do need forwards badly.

We have Fournier who is better than Hield and Kennard. Hield is better from 3 ( not this season), but he is smaller, worse finisher, worse passer, and worse defender. They are even roughly same age. Fultz/ Fournier pairing will be deadly both on offense and defense. We just need a sniper forward ( Okeke?) and our offence will be good. Its development season for us, right now we go as far as Fultz.take us. Thats how this team is build for better or worse ( i think better)

This is the first time Fournier is having comparable season to Hield's last couple. I don't expect him to keep it up and he'll probably regress to the player he's always been more or less. Fournier is a good shooter but Hield is deadly.

[ezzzp]

Their new starting five (with Fultz in place of D.J. Augustin) has scored about 111 points per 100 possessions -- equivalent to the fifth-ranked overall offense.

This part was kind of surprising. I knew they were better than average and the bench stunk, but this really shows how bad the bench is.

...been saying this for a while ...now that DJ and Ross (and even Bamba) are starting to come back to life, the potential offensive upside once Vucevic comes back is promising

[ezzzp]

If I was pairing Fultz with another guard I think a guard like Hield/Kennard would be much more ideal over somebody like D-lo who needs the ball in his hands as well. Kennard isn't a good defender but he is an absolute sniper and would help this team tremendously in that area. He doesn't need the ball in his hands either.

I doubt Detroit is looking to trade him but they do need forwards badly.

Fournier isn't as good a 3PT shooter as Hield, but he's more versatile than both and better defender than both...and Magic don't need to give up an asset to acquire him as he's already theirs.