Sixteen NBA Draft Profile: Markelle Fultz
Despite trudging through the season at the helm of a less-than-talented Washington rotation, Markelle Fultz has established himself as the NBA Draft’s best prospect.
Lonzo Ball is one heck of a player — but he’s not better than Markelle Fultz.
This season has been a rough one for Fultz, as the Washington freshman (still a mere 18.8 years of age) endured a 9–22 season despite a Herculean effort throughout. Akin to last year’s top overall pick Ben Simmons, Fultz will now enter the draft widely projected as the best talent in college basketball, yet without the luxuries of extensive National T.V. time or an NCAA tournament bid to back it up.
That lack of exposure and minimal success as a unit shouldn’t take away from what Fultz has accomplished, though. He put up a statistically-unheralded season in his own right, throwing together 23.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game while accounting for 48.2 percent of the Huskies’ offense during the 25 games in which he participated. His scoring was atop the leader board in the Pac-12 and 6th overall in the nation as well.
This was a year plagued by poor teammates, a virtually nonexistant offensive system and a defensive regime that killed any chance of moderate success for a poorly-coached and heavily-limited Washington squad. Fultz was their everything — and carried that load with an impressive sense of ease.
Upon watching Fultz play, the most noticeable aspect of his game is the incredible control with which he plays. At 6'4" with a wingspan eclipsing 6'9", Fultz’s physical tools are more than suitable for the point guard spot at the next level. He has the length needed to make plays defensively and take advantage of his size in virtually every setting on the offensive side of the ball, while boasting the shifty athleticism and quick burst needed to outmaneuver his opposition at will.
The distinct difference between Fultz and other prospects who wield similar physical gifts, however, is that control. Fultz’s coordination with the ball in his hands is outright generational, and he’s already able to use his gifted frame and elite athletic profile to his advantage like few others his age can. Looking back at other top prospects in past years, like Brandon Ingram and D’Angelo Russell, they’ve needed (and still do need) time to put the proverbial pieces together and learn just how to take advantage of their athleticism.
Fultz simply gets it. He doesn’t play recklessly, and he doesn’t bite off more than he can chew, as the old adage goes. That’s a genuine rarity for someone as young as he is.
In terms of skill set, Fultz’s arsenal is incredibly well-rounded. He scores well at all three levels, while shooting at a high percentage from virtually every spot on the floor. He’s the most polished scorer among the guards in this year’s class, and couples that with the type of weakness-devoid game that sets him apart in stark contrast to some of his competition towards the top of this year’s class.
When searching out his own shot, Fultz has a plethora of methods he can fall back on. His length allows him to create separation when pulling up, while his excellent change of pace and hesitation moves off the bounce allow him to shake loose of his defender and either get to the rim or get into his shooting motions.
He also has the type of fluid stepback that characterizes some of the NBA’s most talented scorers. He’s able to dribble around screens in the pick-and-roll or attack in isolation, then utilize the leverage created by his quickness and excellent body control to jolt back and hit shots.
Fultz’s 3-point percentage tallies out at 41.3 percent, while also hitting on 43.8 percent of 2-point jumpers and 61.6 percent of shots at the rim, per Hoop-Math.com. That type of effecient, diverified scoring ability scoring doesn’t often manifest itself in 18-year-old guards.
In addition to his scoring, though, Fultz’s passing is among the best in this year’s class. While he may not possess the same virtuoso-type vision that fellow freshman Lonzo Ball has been lauded for, his ability to weave passes through tight spaces in the halfcourt setup and find players streaking in transition is undoubtedly special.
Fultz is among the best playmakers in this draft, while his scoring potential is among the highest — if not the highest, to boot. His offensive output this season had markedly few weaknesses, with free throw shooting (64.9 percent) being the only massive concern. A shooter of his caliber should be more consistent in that facet of his game, and given his style of play he’ll likely be afforded ample opportunities to get to the line at the next level. If he can iron that out, there’s little in the way of him becoming an effective main cog early on in his professional career.
Defensively Fultz was underwhelming at times, but it was for lack of effort more so than lack of ability. As the offensive heartbeat for Washington and the only consistent producer on that side of the ball, Fultz tended to take possessions off at times when transitioning to defense. And while that trend isn’t necessarily okay, it’s reasonable to expect an uptick in two-way production once he’s thrusted into an NBA system. On top of that, the tools are all in place for him to excel defensively when motivated to do so.
Fultz’s lanky frame allows him to get into passing lanes with ease, while his quick-witted instincts give him the ability to pull off some impressive plays when putting forth the requisite effort. He averaged 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per contest while on virtual cruise control all season, and displays flashes like this that help us visualize his two-way upside.
Fultz is not only the best prospect this season, but the best point guard prospect since — at the very least — Kyrie Irving. His lack of success was disappointing, yes, but his performance wasn’t. In joining a team that had just lost Marquese Chriss and Dejounte Murray to the NBA over the offseason, there’s little reason behind faulting Fultz for Washington’s minimal success. He was put on a bad team, in perhaps an even worse situation, and still proved to be a stud throughout the entirety of the campaign.
NBA TEAM FITS:
1. Boston Celtics
Virtually every talking point in relation to the Celtics in recent years has been about when they’ll take the next step. When they’ll be able to add that superstar-level talent to an asset-rich organization that has appeared so desperately ready for one in lieu of the Big Three era. And, while many of those discussions have gone through avenues that have included names like Jimmy Butler, Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins, little thought has been given to the potential that their Nets pick — potentially the top selection in the best draft class since ‘03 — could yield just that.
Markelle Fultz has the potential to help them take that next step.
There is of course the argument of timing. Al Horford, their shiniest addition of late — is already 30 years old and clearly reaching the end of his peak seasons. Isaiah Thomas, a top 5 MVP candidate this season, is both another point guard and in the midst of his own prime at age 28. Fultz will be 19 by the time his rookie season begins, and would be well behind the projected developmental curve of the current roster. That, however, shouldn’t matter much.
If this team can’t land a legitimate superstar without thoroughly dismantling their current rotation, Fultz gives them the best chance of adding one — while doing so on an incredibly affordable contract. Sure there are fit issues, but ones worth working out, as his talent wields potential far beyond that of anyone else currently on their roster. Pair that with the emergence of a young talent like Jaylen Brown, and they’re well set for a run in the short-term with more financial flexibility in free agency, while also having established a prime plan for extended success down the road.
How Thomas and Fultz fit in the backcourt is something Brad Stevens would likely have to figure out, but something they could certainly make work. Defensively, Fultz is perfectly capable of taking on opposing two-guards, while their offensive games have the potential to compliment each other if handled correctly. Both could create more open looks for the other on the perimeter via dribble penetration, while their ability to split time on the court gives them the ability to keep a — potentially — high level point guard on the floor at all times, a la Cousins and Anthony Davis in New Orleans’ frontcourt.
How they hash out the ball handling duties and individual plays would likely be a work in progress to start the season — and there’s little guarantee that Fultz would even start year one with Avery Bradley still on the roster — but having that type of playmaking in multiple different facets on offense, as well as a versatile big with both shooting touch and solid vision in the interior in the form of Al Horford, is a promising combination for a coach of Brad Stevens’ caliber.
The biggest concern in all of this would be defense — namely how it’d hold up with Fultz replacing Bradley when that eventually took place. There’s also the possibility that a point guard talent of Fultz’s caliber leads the Celtics to move on from Thomas, a massive move that — should they refuse to commit in free agency — could shift the future projections for both their team and another one elsewhere in the league.
The logistics of a Fultz acquisition are inherently difficult to manage. But, if the Celtics end up logging the number one pick, there’s no scenario in which Fultz’s name shouldn’t be the first one off the board. Talent trumps fit in this case.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
This is another very obvious case of talent over fit, and thus Fultz fits — even though he doesn’t. One of the most popular Fultz comparisons coming into the season was D’Angelo Russell, as their near-indentical physical tools and similar penchant for flashy passes and fluid scoring made them an easy pairing for some. And while Fultz is the more polished playmaker and a more controlled presence on the court, the overlaps in their game would certainly be interesting to monitor should they end up on the same team come next season.
This is a Lakers team, though, that seems tailor-made to make a quirky combination of the Russell-Fultz ilk work long-term. It’s well understood at this point that Luke Walton enjoys pushing the pace, and the Russell-Fultz experiment (let’s go with R/F for the purposes of this article) certain gives them the means through which to do so.
While they may not be starting off games with straight small ball — Ivica Zubac is likely their starting five man next season, barring a free agent acquisition — R/F would thrive most in that setting. Two silky playmakers who can get into the open court and overwhelm teams with their athleticism is a nice combination to play with, and other capable ball handlers, such as Julius Randle and Brandon Ingram in the frontcourt, certainly helps play to such an advantage.
Like Thomas and Fultz in Boston, it’d be interesting to see how exactly the touches between the two point guards — with Jordan Clarkson coming off the bench as well — would be split up. Fultz would likely be stepping in as the top dog from day one in this case, but both have the off-ball and spot-up ability needed to work off of one another in halfcourt sets.
We’ve seen the Lakers find some success, by their standards at least, with Russell and Clarkson sharing the court this season, using a heavy dosage of screens and pick-and-roll action to incorporate both of their skill sets. Walton could take a similar route with Fultz joining the rotation.
The Lakers’ backcourt defense could be a bit suspect early on, and by no means is this an idealistic fit from a purely systematic standpoint. It could mean Los Angeles spends another year working through the ebbs and flows of such a young roster, or it may even provide a catalyst for offloading Russell down the road. But, whatever the consequences, Fultz’s talent once again wins out here. The Lakers currently have the second best chance of getting Fultz, and that makes him an innate fit on the basis of talent alone.
3. Philadelphia 76ers
With the Suns on an ever-so-slight roll as of late and the Sixers — and Kings — continuing to trend downwards, there’s a very real chance that Philadelphia ends up with the third best shot at Fultz, and thus they take this third overall slot. With that said, though, the Sixers clearly have a far more pressing need for quality guard play, and Fultz fills a far more relevant role than he does for the other teams discussed prior.
There’s still somewhat of an awkward fit here considering the ball dominant nature of both Fultz and Ben Simmons, but the sheer upgrade in talent is fairly obvious. T.J. McConnell is far from a starting option for a competitive NBA roster, and Philadelphia’s underwhelming perimeter play has been their Achilles’ heel for quite some time now. Fultz gives them a reliable go-to scorer on the perimeter, as well as somebody who can spot-up, run the pick-and-roll, or thrive in the Sixers’ wealth of dribble-handoffs as their primary offensive weapon alongside Simmons’ playmaking and Embiid’s interior presence.
Simmons will likely be taking on a great deal of the ball handling responsibilities come next season — as his game is limited in other facets — but Fultz could give them a nice boost of offensive versatility nonetheless. Simmons’ knack for getting into the teeth of the defense with drives-and-kicks could in turn churn out some quality looks for Fultz from beyond the 3-point line, while some Fultz-Simmons pick-and-roll action could open up some unique options, via both scoring the basketball and passing it.
There’s also the potential that comes with allowing Fultz to work off of Embiid in the pick-and-roll game. We’ve seen the McConnell use Joel-set screens to get into the middle of the defense and probe for passing lanes and open mid-rangers. If you replace him with somebody boasting the repertoire that Fultz does in that scenario, that’s clearly enticing.
This has been a Sixers team scrapping by on energy and hustle plays on the perimeter for quite some time now. And, while that energy is most definitely important, there’s no denying the benefit of adding an offensive punch of Fultz’s caliber to the rotation, especially given the trends of today’s league. Teams need a viable exterior threat to ascend to the higher levels of competition in the NBA. We’ve seen bigs like Cousins, Davis, and Brook Lopez struggle to find success without reliable guard play. Asking Embiid to do so — even with Simmons’ ability to run the point — is a risky bet, even with his forcefully-natured defensive presence.
They’ll need plenty of shooting — as well as some time to grow as a unit — but the ceiling is, as the great Michael Jordan so eloquently stated, the roof. Fultz is the best player in the draft, and gives Philadelphia some real fit to work with moving forward.
If you haven’t caught on yet, any team slated at the top spot should pick Fultz. He’s just that good.
