Sixers: Meet the new kids on the block

#1 pick, PG Markelle Fultz (University of Washington)

Fultz has been talked about at nauseam thus far, so we won’t beat a dead horse here. All you need to know here is that this kid is a special player. Considered by some to be one of the best guards to come out in the last 5-10 years, it’s made all the much better by the fact that most around the city aren’t upset with what we gave up to get to number one.

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Not only did the Sixers get the undisputed best player in the draft, but they got just the type of player this team needed. Fultz is a fantastic shooter, good finisher, good ball handler, tenacious defender, and someone who doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. When taking a look at how he fits with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, it’s easy to get excited if you’re a Sixers fan.

The main knock on Fultz seems to be the fact that he was on a 9-22 team last year at Washington. While it’s probably unfair to give Fultz a complete pass there, you can’t peg the blame solely on him. Just ask Ben Simmons, sometimes fantastic players can’t carry a bad team. There’s too much parity and good teams in college basketball for one player to carry the load completely. Fultz averaged 23, 6, and 6 last year, so any knocks on him are nitpicking at this point.

With the potential addition of a solid veteran or two (hopefully shooters), Fultz will be in a perfect situation for his development. He won’t be asked to take the majority of the offensive load and will be around plenty of young players that are sure to challenge him daily. Add a veteran or two, and the young man from Maryland will have an ideal situation to become the superstar he can be.

We may not have NEEDED to move up to get Fultz, but no one is complaining now that he’s here. If you had asked most Sixers fans the main type of player they wanted this offseason, you would have likely heard many asking for a combo guard who can shoot effectively. Well, we’ve got him Philly.