Markelle Fultz Discussion III: For Fultz and going forward (see 2017 draft thread for trade discussion)

[Mik317]

I would almost love for Fultz wrecking himself working out to be the reason...maybe then **** would get fired...

but nah

[CelticsWin5]

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We picked a guy first overall who knows nothing about NBA and only plays to earn a paycheck. We failed big time by not doing thorough background check. This is on BC. There is a reason why Ainge passed on this kid...

Now we have to treat him like a work-in-progress project which is ridiculous for a 1st pick

Yeah... and the reason Ainge passed on this kid is because he had a guy called Isiah Thomas and now Kyrie Irving and another shooting guard called Gordon Hayward... so the last thing they needed was a 19 year old rookie point guard at pick 1.

Anyone who believes Ainge passed on Fultz because he had a broken jumper (when it wasn't broken at the time) or because Fultz didn't do well in Quiz questions... is displaying mind numbing stupidity.

1.The Celtics did not have Kyrie during or before the NBA draft. So you’re wrong there.
2. The Celtics did not have Hayward during or before the NBA draft. Hayward decided on the Celtics July 5. So you’re wrong there.
3. Hayward isn’t a shooting guard. Nice attempt at
Making him a guard to make it seem that the Celtics couldn’t try drafting one. Wrong there.
4. Yes, the Celtics did have a badly injured IT on an expiring contract during the nba draft. That certainly isn’t a reason NOT to draft a 1/2 guard
5. The Celtics were in need of a 2 guard or backup point. IT Was an injury concern and Bradley was a already goner as we didn’t want to pay him, and smart cant shoot.


6. You say Ainge didn’t consider quiz questions. Unlike the sixers, ainge and brad Stevens (as well as Phoenix suns) actually did a psychological evaluation of Fultz with his high school guidance counselor to see how Fultz learns. “[Stevens] was interested in how [Fultz] learns,” Phalen said. “How he handles disappointment when he confronts weakness in some part of his development, specifically in academics. We talked about his personality.”

Phalen said she told Stevens that Fultz, who graduated from DeMatha in 2016, displayed an unusual dedication to learning. Fultz would often ask her to meet with him at 6 a.m. on school days — nearly two hours before class started — and also on weekends.

“It is unbelievably rare,” Phalen said. “Often people would say to me, ‘Are you kidding me?’ And I’d say, ‘Listen, when a student shows that much interest in getting better and becoming an academic achiever, if I ever say no to that, that’s ridiculous.’ ”

[cksdayoff]

i saw that video. fultz has really good character to go along with his talent and coachability.

[sweeper12]

Fultz doesnt have elite athleticism. Thanks to RW and John wall’s having freakish level. But is it just.... average? How good is it? CJ McCullom or Bradley Beal level?

It doesn't look better than average to me. When he drives to the basket he doesn't seem to get great lift and gets his shot blocked a lot. He doesn't look anywhere close to being able to finish above the rim in traffic like Wall can.

[reignfire]

Fultz doesnt have elite athleticism. Thanks to RW and John wall’s having freakish level. But is it just.... average? How good is it? CJ McCullom or Bradley Beal level?

It doesn't look better than average to me. When he drives to the basket he doesn't seem to get great lift and gets his shot blocked a lot. He doesn't look anywhere close to being able to finish above the rim in traffic like Wall can.

He does have a crazy wingspan though. I think longer than Simmons.

[chris4celts]

Fultz doesnt have elite athleticism. Thanks to RW and John wall’s having freakish level. But is it just.... average? How good is it? CJ McCullom or Bradley Beal level?

It doesn't look better than average to me. When he drives to the basket he doesn't seem to get great lift and gets his shot blocked a lot. He doesn't look anywhere close to being able to finish above the rim in traffic like Wall can.

Weird to see the diversity of opinions. I think Fultz is likely a disappointment in the end, but I think his athleticism is elite.

[Upperclass]

Bledsoe is built like that and it isn't a detraction. As is Donovan Mitchell, Westbrook, look at college Rondo vs Current Rondo..

BUT I will say this. T-Mac's back injury was the result of his trainer putting him on a traditional lifting regimen vs a basketball workout.. and this could definitely be a similar case.

http://www.espn.com/chicago/columns/blog?post=4479907

[Mik317]

Bledsoe has been hurt quite a bit in his career...Westbrook is a mutant. Mitchell isn't that jacked, he is also a few years older tho.

[Kobblehead]

Are we still hopeful for a re-debut on the 15th or has that been ruled out?

[PhilasFinest]

Are we still hopeful for a re-debut on the 15th or has that been ruled out?

I am, but don’t think it’s happening. The media has been silent.

[76ciology]

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-makes-markelle-fultz-an-nba-draft-favorite/

The Huskies scored 109 points per 100 plays 1 when Fultz passed out the pick-and-roll, including 115 points per 100 on passes to spot-up shooters. To get a sense of how much the team relied on Fultz, consider those numbers in their full context. On spot-up jumpers that weren’t set up by a Fultz pick-and-roll or taken by Fultz himself (101 points per 100 plays), the Huskies managed just 82 points per 100 plays. That’s dreadful. That would have ranked 333rd out of 351 D-I schools. But Fultz was able to draw so much attention and create such good shots for his teammates that they went from one of the worst-shooting teams in the country to one of the best when he set them up.

Not just any player commands the sort of defensive attention Fultz saw — even when he is by far the best player on his team. And what makes Fultz special is how good he is shooting off the dribble in traffic. On all pull-up jumpers, he scored 102 points per 100 plays, which is already very good. But when he was working out of the pick and roll, that number shot up to 118 points per 100 plays, as Fultz took advantage of the little bit of daylight created by the screen to get a slightly better look or to a better spot on the floor.



Having a god-tier pull-up jumper is an increasingly critical skill for NBA guards, but so is finishing at the rim. Being a genuine threat on the drive is the reason the pick-and-roll offense works — it’s what makes James Harden and Russell Westbrook nightmares for opponents and what powers the LeBron Offense in Cleveland. And Fultz scored 130 points per 100 plays when going to the rim out of pick-and-roll plays. He has a tight (though not exactly dazzling) handle — aided by a nice little hesitation/head-fake move that freezes defenders who have to respect that pullup — and he uses it to get into the lane at will.

The article states some doubts on his jumper, that could be a reason for him to change his mechanics

but there’s at least some reason to wonder if Fultz will be as lights-out from deep in the NBA. His range doesn’t extend far beyond the college line, and his release is on the slow side. Just as concerning, he shot 64.9 percent on foul shots, which ESPN Insider’s Kevin Pelton pointed out is a slightly better predictor of NBA 3-point shooting ability than college 3-point percentage on its own — and Fultz wasn’t overwhelming enough from 3 (41.3 percent) to make up for the free throws.

[Mik317]

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more blood for the blood god.

also I am going to go cry in the car brb

[Bigballer74]

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[JamesConway]

How? Why?

This is the weirdest story that I've ever seen in the NBA. Just baffling.

[Derento]

Looks like he can shoot midrange & drive right now but his 3pt shot is still not ready.
He's probably ready to play.

[Mik317]

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[bryanwithawhy]

I SAID IT FROM DAY 1. When he is doing a basketball move and is being athletic and doesn't have time to think he looks good. When he overthinks it and can think about his shot he looks horrible. It was a mental issue from day 1.

[PhilasFinest]

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[PhilasFinest]

Also, I don’t give a rats ass anymore about his Amir Johnson like 3 pt shot.

If he’s healthy, he should be playing. Lonzo Ball has been beat up all year about having the yips, and he’s still playing.

This teams a joke with the way they are handling things.They can not keep red shirting kid’s and playing fans like fools.

BC needs to be held accountable for this non sense.

[bryanwithawhy]

Also, I don’t give a rats ass anymore about his Amir Johnson like 3 pt shot.

If he’s healthy, he should be playing. Lonzo Ball has been beat up all year about having the yips, and he’s still playing.

This teams a joke with the way they are handling things.They can not keep red shirting kid’s and playing fans like fools.

BC needs to be held accountable for this non sense.

What is worse? That Fultz was making fun of Amir Johnson's jump shot when he was going through this. Or if that was actually Fultz' jump shot from a few days ago.