Markelle Fultz Discussion

[MatthewGeigerII]

Markelle "Jimbo" Fultz

[aHealthy3]

Didn't catch the game live but watched every clip I could find on Youtube. One thing that sticks out to me for sure is how long he is, that will be helpful for him. He is skilled and looks like he can really figure out how to get where he wants to on the floor.

He can get to the rim well, but once he gets there I worry a little bit about his unspectacular athleticism hindering his finishing ability. He will have to figure out creative ways to finish as he gets more accustomed to attacking NBA bigs. I would like to see him look a little more explosive on first steps (although he is laterally pretty quick) and more explosive around the rim. He can jump high if he is able to gather but doesn't really have that quick twitch explosiveness, vertically at least. Fultz won't ever be elite in this regard but I am confident an NBA training regimen will improve this.

It sounds cliche James Harden is someone I really hope he tries to model his game after. Harden looked probably less athletic than Fultz coming out of LSU but quietly developed a very underrated and explosive first step that combined with his skill and dexterity has really allowed him to break out.

Overall, the way Fultz moves around the floor kind of reminds me of an old Sixer, Jrue Holiday. I think him ending up becoming basically what Jrue is now is a reasonably likely outcome but there's certainly upside for more - I think he has more innate scoring ability than Jrue and is a bit more effective at getting to the rim, most likely will be a better shooter too. Probably will have a hard time getting to Jrue's level as a perimeter defender, but should be fine on that end with his length.

Completely fine with all this for a guy who likely doesn't need to become our best player.

[Chris76]

Didn't catch the game live but watched every clip I could find on Youtube. One thing that sticks out to me for sure is how long he is, that will be helpful for him. He is skilled and looks like he can really figure out how to get where he wants to on the floor.

He can get to the rim well, but once he gets there I worry a little bit about his unspectacular athleticism hindering his finishing ability. He will have to figure out creative ways to finish as he gets more accustomed to attacking NBA bigs. I would like to see him look a little more explosive on first steps (although he is laterally pretty quick) and more explosive around the rim. He can jump high if he is able to gather but doesn't really have that quick twitch explosiveness, vertically at least. Fultz won't ever be elite in this regard but I am confident an NBA training regimen will improve this.

It sounds cliche James Harden is someone I really hope he tries to model his game after. Harden looked probably less athletic than Fultz coming out of LSU but quietly developed a very underrated and explosive first step that combined with his skill and dexterity has really allowed him to break out.

Overall, the way Fultz moves around the floor kind of reminds me of an old Sixer, Jrue Holiday. I think him ending up becoming basically what Jrue is now is a reasonably likely outcome but there's certainly upside for more - I think he has more innate scoring ability than Jrue and is a bit more effective at getting to the rim, most likely will be a better shooter too. Probably will have a hard time getting to Jrue's level as a perimeter defender, but should be fine on that end with his length.

Completely fine with all this for a guy who likely doesn't need to become our best player.

Good points, Fultz seems to be taking less risk when finishing, which is good health wise. Hopefully, he will find a good medium between a risky, but stronger finish at the rim. For example, he could of dunked that last shot or created contact first then shoot getting game winning foul shots. Unfortunately, Jaylen made a great block. Anyway, he has that Kobe type shooting that could be very valuable.

[76ciology]

Didn't catch the game live but watched every clip I could find on Youtube. One thing that sticks out to me for sure is how long he is, that will be helpful for him. He is skilled and looks like he can really figure out how to get where he wants to on the floor.

He can get to the rim well, but once he gets there I worry a little bit about his unspectacular athleticism hindering his finishing ability. He will have to figure out creative ways to finish as he gets more accustomed to attacking NBA bigs. I would like to see him look a little more explosive on first steps (although he is laterally pretty quick) and more explosive around the rim. He can jump high if he is able to gather but doesn't really have that quick twitch explosiveness, vertically at least. Fultz won't ever be elite in this regard but I am confident an NBA training regimen will improve this.

It sounds cliche James Harden is someone I really hope he tries to model his game after. Harden looked probably less athletic than Fultz coming out of LSU but quietly developed a very underrated and explosive first step that combined with his skill and dexterity has really allowed him to break out.

Overall, the way Fultz moves around the floor kind of reminds me of an old Sixer, Jrue Holiday. I think him ending up becoming basically what Jrue is now is a reasonably likely outcome but there's certainly upside for more - I think he has more innate scoring ability than Jrue and is a bit more effective at getting to the rim, most likely will be a better shooter too. Probably will have a hard time getting to Jrue's level as a perimeter defender, but should be fine on that end with his length.

Completely fine with all this for a guy who likely doesn't need to become our best player.

Good points, Fultz seems to be taking less risk when finishing, which is good health wise. Hopefully, he will find a good medium between a risky, but stronger finish at the rim. For example, he could of dunked that last shot or created contact first then shoot getting game winning foul shots. Unfortunately, Jaylen made a great block. Anyway, he has that Kobe type shooting that could be very valuable.

Finishing around the rim? Better learn the art of drawing fouls and getting to the line instead

Talking about Jrue. His problem is his low FTr and average at best 3pt shooting, two things I see Fultz to have way more upside with

[broseph13]

Call me crazy, but I think BC made a mistake. I think BC should have traded 3 for 5 + 10 because Donovan Mitchell looks like D Wade 2.0 thus far and I won't be surprised if he ends up becoming a better player than Fultz.

Mitchell + Dennis Smith would have been a great pickup.

[76ciology]

Call me crazy, but I think BC made a mistake. I think BC should have traded 3 for 5 + 10 because Donovan Mitchell looks like D Wade 2.0 thus far and I won't be surprised if he ends up becoming a better player than Fultz.

Mitchell + Dennis Smith would have been a great pickup.

While you're at it.. We should have traded 1st pick for the 14th pick of Heat and selected Bam Adebayo.

[XtremeDunkz]

Call me crazy, but I think BC made a mistake. I think BC should have traded 3 for 5 + 10 because Donovan Mitchell looks like D Wade 2.0 thus far and I won't be surprised if he ends up becoming a better player than Fultz.

Mitchell + Dennis Smith would have been a great pickup.

lol jesus christ

[XtremeDunkz]

Call me crazy, but I think BC made a mistake. I think BC should have traded 3 for 5 + 10 because Donovan Mitchell looks like D Wade 2.0 thus far and I won't be surprised if he ends up becoming a better player than Fultz.

Mitchell + Dennis Smith would have been a great pickup.

And MCW looked like a hall of famer after his first real NBA game against the Heat. Are you really complaining about the #1 pick after ONE SUMMER LEAGUE GAME?

[HotelVitale]

Call me crazy, but I think BC made a mistake. I think BC should have traded 3 for 5 + 10 because Donovan Mitchell looks like D Wade 2.0 thus far and I won't be surprised if he ends up becoming a better player than Fultz. Mitchell + Dennis Smith would have been a great pickup.

In case you missed the thousands of posts in the month before the draft--#5 and #10 were not available for #3, no Kings fans were interested and no neutral observers thought that was a good deal. Everyone basically agreed that #3-6 was pretty even valuewise and it was unreasonable to throw in another top ten pick (esp since the Kings wanted Fox who was likely to be available at 5, and boom he was).

Also, Kris Dunn looked like a f'in battleship last year in SL, and athletic guys with good size tend to do really well in the structure-less SL setting. Not saying Mitchell is all smoke and mirrors--he's a good prospect that I would've loved on the Sixers--just that SL is really far from the NBA and every year fans freak out about the first two weeks of SL and start talkin crazy.

[Unbreakable99]

Call me crazy, but I think BC made a mistake. I think BC should have traded 3 for 5 + 10 because Donovan Mitchell looks like D Wade 2.0 thus far and I won't be surprised if he ends up becoming a better player than Fultz.

Mitchell + Dennis Smith would have been a great pickup.

Sacramento was not giving up 5 and 10. I would have just stayed at 3 but what's done is done. Let's just hope Fultz is the real deal. I'm rooting for him and hope he becomes the best player in the class.

[Brauer]

Didn't catch the game live but watched every clip I could find on Youtube. One thing that sticks out to me for sure is how long he is, that will be helpful for him. He is skilled and looks like he can really figure out how to get where he wants to on the floor.

He can get to the rim well, but once he gets there I worry a little bit about his unspectacular athleticism hindering his finishing ability. He will have to figure out creative ways to finish as he gets more accustomed to attacking NBA bigs. I would like to see him look a little more explosive on first steps (although he is laterally pretty quick) and more explosive around the rim. He can jump high if he is able to gather but doesn't really have that quick twitch explosiveness, vertically at least. Fultz won't ever be elite in this regard but I am confident an NBA training regimen will improve this.

It sounds cliche James Harden is someone I really hope he tries to model his game after. Harden looked probably less athletic than Fultz coming out of LSU but quietly developed a very underrated and explosive first step that combined with his skill and dexterity has really allowed him to break out.

Overall, the way Fultz moves around the floor kind of reminds me of an old Sixer, Jrue Holiday. I think him ending up becoming basically what Jrue is now is a reasonably likely outcome but there's certainly upside for more - I think he has more innate scoring ability than Jrue and is a bit more effective at getting to the rim, most likely will be a better shooter too. Probably will have a hard time getting to Jrue's level as a perimeter defender, but should be fine on that end with his length.

Completely fine with all this for a guy who likely doesn't need to become our best player.

I think people tend to ignore just how young this guy is and his late bloomer status. Dude just turned 19 and his open court athleticism kind of gives signs of untapped explosiveness, as has happened with Parker, Giannis, Harden, etc. I think he has incredible star potential and I honestly feel people greatly underrate him.

[agiaco]

Fultz looks awesome and some people still want to trade back for lesser players.

[Kobblehead]

Fultz looks awesome and some people still want to trade back for lesser players.

Lesser skill, sure. But not lesser players.

[aHealthy3]

Didn't catch the game live but watched every clip I could find on Youtube. One thing that sticks out to me for sure is how long he is, that will be helpful for him. He is skilled and looks like he can really figure out how to get where he wants to on the floor.

He can get to the rim well, but once he gets there I worry a little bit about his unspectacular athleticism hindering his finishing ability. He will have to figure out creative ways to finish as he gets more accustomed to attacking NBA bigs. I would like to see him look a little more explosive on first steps (although he is laterally pretty quick) and more explosive around the rim. He can jump high if he is able to gather but doesn't really have that quick twitch explosiveness, vertically at least. Fultz won't ever be elite in this regard but I am confident an NBA training regimen will improve this.

It sounds cliche James Harden is someone I really hope he tries to model his game after. Harden looked probably less athletic than Fultz coming out of LSU but quietly developed a very underrated and explosive first step that combined with his skill and dexterity has really allowed him to break out.

Overall, the way Fultz moves around the floor kind of reminds me of an old Sixer, Jrue Holiday. I think him ending up becoming basically what Jrue is now is a reasonably likely outcome but there's certainly upside for more - I think he has more innate scoring ability than Jrue and is a bit more effective at getting to the rim, most likely will be a better shooter too. Probably will have a hard time getting to Jrue's level as a perimeter defender, but should be fine on that end with his length.

Completely fine with all this for a guy who likely doesn't need to become our best player.

I think people tend to ignore just how young this guy is and his late bloomer status. Dude just turned 19 and his open court athleticism kind of gives signs of untapped explosiveness, as has happened with Parker, Giannis, Harden, etc. I think he has incredible star potential and I honestly feel people greatly underrate him.

Loved what I saw last night in the 2nd half once he settled in...maybe he can be a star but honestly, as long as he can continue to catch and shoot 3s at a nice clip he will thrive in our offense. With Simmons running the show he will just get to shoot open spot up 3s and attack closeouts which it looks like he will be able to do efficiently.

I like him better off the ball right now tbh. His handle is not very tight right now and should be a focal point for him to work on.

[akhan786]

What is most impressive and what you Philly fans should be most excited about is that Markelle at age 19 is clearly capable of going through the mental progressions in a NBA-level pick&roll/half court set. He doesn't always make the right decision, but that's because he's young and learning something as complicated as a NBA offense takes hundreds of hours. I'd rather have a player that surveys his options and makes the wrong decision as opposed to one who isn't capable of surveying his options at all.

That's what separates him from Lonzo. Lonzo I don't think has proven that he's able to THINK and go through NBA-level progressions at a consistent level which I think is absolutely due to the type of ball his family likes to play.

This is what frustrates basketball minds the most about AAU ball as there is basically no set plays or thinking involved. And the Chino Hills/Ball style of play is AAU on steroids. The frustration arises from the fact that it's very clear that most of the AAU coaches aren't even aware of the complexity of professional basketball and are thus incapable of training minds at a young age to be able to see this complexity.

Lonzo is essentially a high-level AAU bball player. Which is fine. He's gifted enough in many different rare areas that make him as highly touted as he is. But I worry about his background at Chino Hills and whether he's prepared to run the modern offense Walton uses or even knows what he's getting himself into. He's a great instinctual player that will shine when he needs to improvise like in transition, but Fultz seems like he has that extra mental capability to think at the complex level especially necessary for a NBA PG.

Lonzo seems like a sharp kid, but the burden is on him to prove he can tailor his game to a NBA offense. And hopefully he does, because that would be a lot of fun to watch. It's just even at age 19, some bad habits are really hard to change. And we're not talking about a simple bad habit. We're talking about his entire approach to the game.

Edited to add: This is also why I think Ingram will end up the true superstar in LA. Kid as an 18 year old has proven that he's been able to make NBA level reads consistently but because of his strength he hasn't been able to take full advantage of his reads yet. This is why by the time he's 21 he could be really scary. As in Top 20 player going on Top 10 which is why the entire Lakers Org understands that he's untouchable.

[Chris76]

What is most impressive and what you Philly fans should be most excited about is that Markelle at age 19 is clearly capable of going through the mental progressions in a NBA-level pick&roll/half court set. He doesn't always make the right decision, but that's because he's young and learning something as complicated as a NBA offense takes hundreds of hours. I'd rather have a player that surveys his options and makes the wrong decision as opposed to one who isn't capable of surveying his options at all.

That's what separates him from Lonzo. Lonzo I don't think has proven that he's able to THINK and go through NBA-level progressions at a consistent level which I think is absolutely due to the type of ball his family likes to play.

This is what frustrates basketball minds the most about AAU ball as there is basically no set plays or thinking involved. And the Chino Hills/Ball style of play is AAU on steroids. The frustration arises from the fact that it's very clear that most of the AAU coaches aren't even aware of the complexity of professional basketball and are thus incapable of training minds at a young age to be able to see this complexity.

Lonzo is essentially a high-level AAU bball player. Which is fine. He's gifted enough in many different rare areas that make him as highly touted as he is. But I worry about his background at Chino Hills and whether he's prepared to run the modern offense Walton uses or even knows what he's getting himself into. He's a great instinctual player that will shine when he needs to improvise like in transition, but Fultz seems like he has that extra mental capability to think at the complex level especially necessary for a NBA PG.

Lonzo seems like a sharp kid, but the burden is on him to prove he can tailor his game to a NBA offense. And hopefully he does, because that would be a lot of fun to watch. It's just even at age 19, some bad habits are really hard to change. And we're not talking about a simple bad habit. We're talking about his entire approach to the game.

Edited to add: This is also why I think Ingram will end up the true superstar in LA. Kid as an 18 year old has proven that he's been able to make NBA level reads consistently but because of his strength he hasn't been able to take full advantage of his reads yet. This is why by the time he's 21 he could be really scary. As in Top 20 player going on Top 10 which is why the entire Lakers Org understands that he's untouchable.

Good points, it's exciting to have a possible star at PG. The more efficient shooting between Fultz and Redick should help to keep defenses honest and help him progress in making his teammates better. Whether Fultz initiates the pick n roll or plays off it, defenses are going to have trouble defending him. Having the mental capability or vision that Fultz, Simmons, and others should have will make the ball movement so much better and hopefully scoring more efficient.

[Upperclass]

Fultz offensive talent is undeniable. He seems to be missing something between the ears though. Not hoops IQ because he seems to posses above average IQ there.. but just a lack of care or concern for the situation and doesnt like to try hard. Dwade was very similar in his demeanor early in his career and at certain points.. almost an "above it all" type of attitude. It took Shaq and all of those vets and later Lebron, for him to really become consistently demonstrative.
I think once Fultz experiences winning, pressure, playoffs etc. He'll start to become more gritty. Right now.. this is all still probably a blur to him and he's taking it all in.

Talent-wise, i don't think there is a compare in this draft besides Tatum offensively.

[howiezbt]

Fultz is a stud. He can shoot the ball like no player we have drafted since Hersey Hawkins. He has no help out there.

Exum and Jaylen Brown should not be in the summer league but they are taking the heat off the rookies playing with them.

Why the heck didn't Simba play? We could use him to help out Fultz.

[MatthewGeigerII]

Don Mitchell may have looked really good so far but...

He can NOT do the Hesi-pull-up-Jimbo!

[Stribor]

He can get to the rim well, but once he gets there I worry a little bit about his unspectacular athleticism hindering his finishing ability. He will have to figure out creative ways to finish as he gets more accustomed to attacking NBA bigs. I would like to see him look a little more explosive on first steps (although he is laterally pretty quick) and more explosive around the rim. He can jump high if he is able to gather but doesn't really have that quick twitch explosiveness, vertically at least. Fultz won't ever be elite in this regard but I am confident an NBA training regimen will improve this.

I don't care about the rim. Plenty of guys to finish there. I just hope he becomes elite shooter, and I can sense that he has that potential to go Curry, Miller, Petrovic, ... And though I love Embid I am all ok if down the road Fultz becomes the number one. You can never know which player will really become great, but we have three with different potentials and I would welcome any of theme in the HOF with joy.