2021-2022 Post-Mortem: Markelle Fultz

[Skin]

Markelle's #1 fan here checking in. Where's the option to extend him now before he blows up next year?

He makes others around him better, he stays within himself and doesn't force things, and the Magic are fun to watch with him on the floor. Give him a better backcourt mate than Cole, Suggs, Hampton or TRoss and we can start to make progress.

[Blue_and_Whte]

it’s weird because he doesn’t draw fouls but we’ve all seen him going down hill and bulling his way through guys on his way to the basket making it difficult for me to say he avoids contact.

There’s no rush to trade anyone right now. Even if we draft Ivey you roll the ball out on to the court and tell Fultz, Suggs, Ivey, and Cole to figure it out. The cream always rises to the top.

[pepe1991]

it’s weird because he doesn’t draw fouls but we’ve all seen him going down hill and bulling his way through guys on his way to the basket making it difficult for me to say he avoids contact.

There’s no rush to trade anyone right now. Even if we draft Ivey you roll the ball out on to the court and tell Fultz, Suggs, Ivey, and Cole to figure it out. The cream always rises to the top.

Selling contact is skill like any other.
We had Fultz for 2019-20 playoffs, over 5 games he drew 3 shooting fouls. (7FTA, i think one was tehniqual FT).

[Blue_and_Whte]

it’s weird because he doesn’t draw fouls but we’ve all seen him going down hill and bulling his way through guys on his way to the basket making it difficult for me to say he avoids contact.

There’s no rush to trade anyone right now. Even if we draft Ivey you roll the ball out on to the court and tell Fultz, Suggs, Ivey, and Cole to figure it out. The cream always rises to the top.

Selling contact is skill like any other.
We had Fultz for 2019-20 playoffs, over 5 games he drew 3 shooting fouls. (7FTA, i think one was tehniqual FT).

a learned skill..but I agree, however that’s different than avoiding contact. I don’t necessarily think he avoids contact.

[DiplomaticMagic]

He needs to start. Plain and simple.

[T-Cat]

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Penny might have something to say about that.

Maybe develop a consistent 3, learn to get to the line, and play a shred of defense first and we’ll talk.

[Howard Mass]

This team plays so much better when he is on the floor.

Fultz is so much fun to watch with his natural instincts and how he makes everyone better.

This team is going to make the play-in next year and Fultz will be the main reason why.

[drsd]

This team is going to make the play-in next year and Fultz will be the main reason why.

Make it so!


..

[drsd]

Markelle's #1 fan here checking in. Where's the option to extend him now before he blows up next year?

Only contracts 4 years in length can be restructured (after year 3).

Orlando has 16.5M on Fultz for 2022/23. And then either pays him 2M to not play in 2023/24 or pays him 17M to play.

Then he is an UFA.

One interesting thing: as Fultz would have full Bird rights in 2023/24 I believe that if his option where to be picked up, he inherits a no-trade clause within year 2023/24. (A team cannot do something to remove Bird-rights and a trade would do that).

[Kent]

Who would've thought on the day we traded for Fultz that three years later, you'd have to seriously ask yourself if you'd rather have him or Ben Simmons?

For me? #20 all the way.

[drsd]

Who would've thought on the day we traded for Fultz that three years later, you'd have to seriously ask yourself if you'd rather have him or Ben Simmons?

For me? #20 all the way.

That 10 game run clearly revealed Fultz over Anthony and Suggs in the PG depth chart.

To answer your, yes I would rather Orlando spends 16.5M per annum on Fultz playing 15-20 mpg vs. spending 29M on Simmons for 0 mpg.




..

[jonbob17]

Who would've thought on the day we traded for Fultz that three years later, you'd have to seriously ask yourself if you'd rather have him or Ben Simmons?

For me? #20 all the way.

That 10 game run clearly revealed Fultz over Anthony and Suggs in the PG depth chart.

To answer your, yes I would rather Orlando spends 16.5M per annum on Fultz playing 15-20 mpg vs. spending 29M on Simmons for 0 mpg.




..

I mean Fultz's return was promising, but if we are narrowing it to the last 10 games, let's remember that it was in the silly season, where teams had all kinds of trash on the court....AND during that span Fultz made 2 threes.

We aren't giving up on Suggs. He will get 4 years to prove himself.

The question will be can Suggs and Fultz share the court. Is our starting back court going to have guys that shot 21% and 23% from 3 last season.
I still believe in Suggs as a lead ball handler, and i think he will shoot.

Just not sure you can have two average to below average(shooting) guards on the court at the same time in today's NBA.

[drsd]

We aren't giving up on Suggs. He will get 4 years to prove himself.

This isn't about Suggs vs. Fultz. It's a question about who has more promise as a NBA player moving forward: Fultz or Ben Simmons. For me it is an easy question to answer as I believe Fultz proved in these 10 games that he has a place in the NBA next year. For all we know, Simmons has concluded his NBA work.

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[Xatticus]

We aren't giving up on Suggs. He will get 4 years to prove himself.

This isn't about Suggs vs. Fultz. It's a question about who has more promise as a NBA player moving forward: Fultz or Ben Simmons. For me it is an easy question to answer as I believe Fultz proved in these 10 games that he has a place in the NBA next year. For all we know, Simmons has concluded his NBA work.

..

You keep saying that and I'm still struggling to understand what you are referring to. Was he a better PG than Cole Anthony or RJ Hampton? Obviously. That's a very low bar. Beyond that, what did he prove exactly? I'm genuinely curious.

I get the concerns with Simmons, but he has played nearly 3x as many minutes as Fultz since Fultz entered the league and he has been the vastly superior player. Simmons has demonstrated his value in the league. We are still sifting through Fultz' false dawns in search of some optimism.

Might Fultz provide more value over the duration of their current contracts? It's certainly possible. But that will be all about whether or not Simmons gets mentally healthy. It's just really tough for me to be optimistic about a guy that doesn't take threes, doesn't get to the line, and doesn't provide defensive value. Simmons does two of those things at a very high level.

If Brooklyn was interested in dumping Simmons, I would definitely be interested. Unfortunately, that seems very unlikely.

[drsd]

If Brooklyn was interested in dumping Simmons, I would definitely be interested. Unfortunately, that seems very unlikely.

Would you support a straight-up trade of Fultz for Simmons? There is not a clear-cut response. And that's kind of the point on both.

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[pepe1991]

There are A LOT of stories about Ben Simmons and it's hard to know what's true what is not, but it seems like most players don't think he is honest about his mental problems and uses that as excuse in sue case vs 76ers to collect paycheck.

But without question he has been superior player to Fultz ( hell guy is allstar, all nba defender, career 16 ppg, 8 rpg, 8 apg )

Being "best Magic playmaker" is like proclaiming you have fastest animal after your snail won snail race.

[jonbob17]

If Brooklyn was interested in dumping Simmons, I would definitely be interested. Unfortunately, that seems very unlikely.

Would you support a straight-up trade of Fultz for Simmons? There is not a clear-cut response. And that's kind of the point on both.

..

Yes I would support it. Any GM that didn't pull the trigger on getting Simmons for Fultz would be laughed out of the sport.

What are we saying? 10 somewhat promising games from Fultz (during the silly season) is equal to a player who is a multiple all-star, 3rd team all-nba, and is a perennial all-defensive 1st teamer.

What are we really comparing here Fultz's last 10 games vs Simmons last game which he passed up a dunk.


I love Fultz, and i am still holding out hope. But it was the SILLY season. From March 23rd onward:
Kevin PorterJr. 23.5ppg 6 Reb 7.5 Assists on 47% FG
Isiah Roby. 17ppg 7Reb 1steal 1.4 Blocks
Keldon Johnson. 23/6/3
Immanuel Quickly. 17.5/5.3/6.5
Obi Toppin 20/5.4
Drew Eubanks 18/9
Davion Mitchel 19 points 10assists
Theo Maledon. 21/5/6

Fultz 13.4pts. 2.8reb 6.8assists. 1.6 steals 49.5% FG

I love the numbers from Fultz. Would anyone in their right mind think that any of the guys on that list could get Simmons straight up? And none of those guys make any money. Fultz does.

Let's see how Fultz plays against real competition next year before we crown him our best player.

[jonbob17]

We aren't giving up on Suggs. He will get 4 years to prove himself.

This isn't about Suggs vs. Fultz. It's a question about who has more promise as a NBA player moving forward: Fultz or Ben Simmons. For me it is an easy question to answer as I believe Fultz proved in these 10 games that he has a place in the NBA next year. For all we know, Simmons has concluded his NBA work.

..

It is about Fultz vs Suggs when people say things like:
"That 10 game run clearly revealed Fultz over Anthony and Suggs in the PG depth chart."

[Knightro]

If Brooklyn was interested in dumping Simmons, I would definitely be interested. Unfortunately, that seems very unlikely.

Would you support a straight-up trade of Fultz for Simmons? There is not a clear-cut response. And that's kind of the point on both

1 million percent, yes.