Philadelphia 76ers: Markelle Fultz is right where he needs to be

With the Philadelphia 76ers pushing for a playoff berth without the aid of Markelle Fultz, maybe its time to take another angle with the injured star.

While it’s hard to argue with the results, the Philadelphia 76ers have definitely taken the road less traveled in their ground-up rebuild, especially with first-round pick Markelle Fultz.

In 2012, the Sixers made an unprecedented move that could change their franchise forever: they purposely purged their roster of talent in the hopes of acquiring young ascending talent through the draft.

And while there were some missteps, like Jahlil Okafor, it’s worked.

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Through “The Process”, the team has acquired a pair of legitimate star players and are quickly rising up the NBA food chain to the point where the team will likely comfortably make the playoffs, maybe even with home-field advantage.

Who would have ever thought that the team would be a legitimate landing spot for LeBron James five years ago when the team was on pace to win less than 30 games?

Of course, no one can deny the immense talent that James would bring to this young, hungry squad. Not to mention the invaluable lessons that Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Fultz, heck the entire team AND coaching staff, would learn from the eight NBA Finals championship runs that James has on his resume.

But do the 76ers even need James?

As crazy as it may sound, the team may be able to do it all by themselves, even without the NBA’s best player.

It might not be next year, and yes we are a much better short-term championship team with James on our roster, but the Sixers may already have a championship caliber team here in South Philly, just not yet.

In the age of analytics and psychological profiling for athletes from pretty much the womb, would it really be that far-fetched to think that the Sixers’ brass would have drawn up some post-draft steps to “The Process”?

I mean after going through it twice at this point, you’d think the Sixers would have star development down to a science, especially with a blue-chip prospect like Fultz. The team saw success with both Embiid and Simmons having ample time to learn off of the court, so we can’t fault them for being overly cautious and not rushing Fultz back before he is completely ready.

For better or for worse, “The Process” will never again be duplicated, especially after the NBA’s recent change to the lottery odds, so the Sixers will go down in history as the only team to pull off such a coup. Now they just need to follow it through.

Head coach Brett Brown comes from a championship culture in San Antonio, a program that relies heavily on experienced, professional overseas players and mental, emotionally mature, proven college players. Times have changed from when you can draft a talent like David Robinson or Tim Duncan fully developed out of college and place players like Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker beside them. The talented players that can change a franchise are now coming out of college after playing only one year.

While this new generation of top prospects has the talent needed to be games changers, for the most part, they are entering the league as unfinished products. But one of the major reasons why both Embiid and Simmons played so well once they finally hit the floor is because they had a chance to sit and learn. Basketball is a mental game as much as it is a physical game after all.

Though unorthodox, the Sixers management should be applauded and lauded for their insight into the emotional intelligence of their investments. No one really buys that a 19-year-old kid is ready to play against 30-year-old men after one season in college, and it appears that the 76ers front office understands that more than most. Even LeBron James wasn’t LeBron James at 18.

Sure it may be frustrating to watch Fultz ride the bench game in, and game out, but based on Embiid and Simmons growth, you can’t argue with the immense benefit these young men receive by being allowed to allowed to learn about the nuances of the life of a professional ballplayer.

While Dario Saric was able to come right in an play from day one, he had already been playing professional ball for over half a decade in Europe and arrived with a much higher floor than a typical rookie. And now, one season later, he too is growing better and better with each passing week.

However, our modern sports culture has seemingly lost its sense of patience, with some fans believing that rookies don’t deserve the luxury of eventually growing into their roles of dragon slayers.

It is so exciting to see how the season is unfolding as the Sixers, now five games over .500, are finally establishing an identity. It is an exciting time to be a Philadelphia fan. Sixers management, both past, and present have put together a great, young team that is poised to make some noise in the NBA.

And they will only get better with Fultz back in the frey next season.

Fultz has played only four games this season but yet he has had his name smeared, his reputation and character questioned and even his undeniable skill set doubted. He has recently been named in a federal investigation, labeled a bust and all without playing a week’s worth of meaningful basketball in Philly.

But being Philly tough is not just a physical thing.

The Sixers have invested a lot in their young trio of potential stars and they, like any good parent or boss, wants to ensure that their investments are aptly equipped to handle not just the rigors of the NBA, but the unique rigors of playing star quality basketball in the unique media market of Philadelphia.

For some, Fultz has already been labeled a bust, but he can’t let that talk get to him. Because they are going to talk and they are going to talk a lot, like it or not. Haters are going to hate, but the Coach Brown’s squad can’t let that get to them. It’s better to use that fire to stay motivated than allow it to destroy a potential dynasty.

Luckily for us as fans, “The Process” has been a success so far and our Sixers are competing for not only a playoff spot, but for a home series where the raucous Philadelphia fans give the young team a distinct advantage. And based on how they’re playing, the team definitely deserves it.

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The Sixers management is batting a thousand right now. Embiid, Simmons and a mentally and emotionally prepared Fultz could help propel the Philadelphia 76ers into many years of winning basketball. Just remember, good things come to those who wait.