Sixers: Markelle Fultz looks to show improvement against Utah Jazz
The Sixers will take on the Utah Jazz in their second Utah summer league game at 9pm ET.
The summer Sixers lost a heartbreaker to Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. The loss had some bright spots, including top pick in the draft Markelle Fultz. Fultz dropped 17 points, although it was on a cool-shooting 37.5% from the field. The Sixers saw the scoring ability of their third core piece, and can envision what his role in the offense will start to look like.
Of course, there were still some issues. Fultz shooting touch was far from regular season ready, and there wasn’t much of am opportunity to distribute the ball elsewhere. His four turnovers to one assist was less than spectacular. But he showed energy on defense with three highlight-worthy blocks.
His usage in the first game was similar to what we’ll see in the beginning of the season. He will have opportunities as the primary ball-handler, but his major focus will be as an off-ball shooter. His playmaking ability will come as he gets more comfortable with the flow of the NBA game.
More from Philadelphia 76ers
- 3 Reasons the 76ers Should Poach Blake Griffin From the Celtics
- 3 Most Overpaid 76ers Heading Into the 2023 Season
- Ranking Daryl Morey’s 3 Biggest Mistakes with 76ers
- 3 Teams Crazy Enough to Trade for James Harden
- James Harden Putting Career in Jeopardy With Holdout Threat
Overall his first game was a promising one, and he’ll continue to see improvement. He’ll play in tonight’s game against the Jazz, but will probably miss Thursday’s matchup for rest. In the second game, Markelle Fultz will most likely see the ball in his hands more.
In doing so, we’ll see more of what Fultz is good at. His passing ability isn’t the best in his draft class, but it’s still above average compared to an average guard prospect. He will also be able to show off his on-ball dribble move that allows him to get to the rim with ease, which complements his incredible finishing and body control.
Lloyd Pierce and the Sixers will still see a good chunk of Fultz running to open space off the ball, just to help him ease into playing next to Ben Simmons. We will hopefully see a better shooting performance in game two, but it seems as though Philadelphia is being cautious with Fultz minutes-wise.
No sign yet that the Sixers would go against their philosophy and push Fultz past 22-minutes, but it would be nice to see him take on a bigger immediate load. Markelle Fultz will have his bumps and bruises throughout his first year, and if game one was what his trials are going to be then the Sixers are in good shape.
Next: Fultz can work off the ball
Another Sixer to keep an eye on is Jonah Bolden. The second-round forward impressed defensively last game, and consistently great performances can push him to an NBA roster sooner than expected.
You can catch the game on TCN at 9pm ET.