Marc Jackson on Fultz: “He Checks All the Boxes the 76ers Need”
One of the more popular things people do after the draft is discuss how the newest member of the team will fit in with the current talent on the roster.
CSN Philly Sixers postgame analyst Marc Jackson didn’t hesitate, to highlight a skill first-round pick Markelle Fultz brings to the Sixers that should make an immediate impact on the team.
“Fultz is a bonafide finisher; he can finish up there with the trees,” Jackson explained on the Sports Bash on Friday.
"The thing that I realized is that there was no other player that I saw that was a better fit for [Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons] than Markelle for a variety of reasons," Sixers head coach Brett Brown added. "When you look at his ability to shoot, when you look at his ability to create on a catch-go or off a live ball certainly in the early offense that he can coexist with Ben and Joel the easiest out of all of the people."
The Sixers traded up with Boston to chose Fultz with the first overall pick on Thursday, in large part for his ability to put pressure on the defense.
Fultz will bring a skill that this team is lacking: a top-flight scorer.
Jackson explained that the team “brought in a capable scorer, capable ball handler, ball distributor. He checks all of the boxes the 76ers need.”
He showed off his scoring potential during his lone year at Washington, and at 6-foot-5, Fultz should be able to be an explosive scorer in the NBA.
"He’s able to get his shot off on bigger guys," said Jackson. "He’s not just getting it off he’s able to finish."
Pairing him with Ben Simmons who is more known for his passing ability than his pure offensive game, should be a handful for opposing defenses.
"Markelle and Ben, together, is a dynamic backcourt," Sixers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo said. "The two of them can make players on the floor better. I think that when you’ve got a pass-first facilitator like Ben who’s going to look for people that can score the basketball around him, that’s this guy right here [Fultz]. He can score in a variety of ways."
"He’s a perfect complement to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons,” added Brown.
Now it’s up to Brown to make it all work.
"The start of the season and training camp and the month of September are really going to be important for us to allow those guys to feel each other and the coaching staff to be able to truly see it on the court."