How Brett Brown Uses Markelle Fultz Next Season Will Be Fascinating To Watch
(ESPN) – Coach Brett Brown remains committed to keeping guard Markelle Fultz in the Philadelphia 76ers’ starting lineup but is considering bringing last year’s No. 1 overall pick off the bench to begin the second half of games.
Brown experimented with that rotation during the 76ers’ 115-112 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Philadelphia’s preseason finale on Monday.
After picking up four fouls in the first half, Fultz came off the bench in the third quarter. JJ Redick, who started for last season’s 52-win team, replaced him in the starting lineup.
“It didn’t have anything to do with Markelle being in foul trouble,” Brown said. “Part of my responsibility is to be able to put these guys in environments with different combinations and try to figure that out as quickly as I’m able. I believe that Markelle is at his best with the ball, and so when you watch how I substitute and determine patterns, when you bring him off the bench in the second half you’re able to get him like four or five more minutes as a point guard. I believe it’s something that we’ll continue to look at. Again, it was done for that reason.”
Redick playing with the rest of the Sixers’ starters has proven to be a potent lineup. According to NBA Advanced Statistics, that group outscored opponents by 268 points in 601 minutes last season, the best plus-minus of any five-man lineup in the league by a margin of 99 points.
I found this pretty interesting coming out of the Sixers game yesterday. I, like much of Philly and anyone who enjoys NBA basketball cannot wait for Markelle Fultz to play. After all of last season’s drama, all the hype surrounding his workouts with Drew Hanlen, and then the flashes we saw during the preseason, in my opinion how ready and how good Fultz ends up being is going to have a major impact on how the top of the East looks next year. Which is why Brett Brown is in a tough spot. How he handles Fultz and his return is probably the #1 storyline with the Sixers as they enter next season with REAL expectations. None of this “The Process” nonsense where wins and losses don’t matter. That ended when they won 52 games last year, so not only is this the first season we’ll see with their Big 3 actually on the floor, but also the first time people expect them to ya know….win.
Which is why this idea of starting Fultz, but then bringing him off the bench to start the second half is really interesting. Who does that with #1 picks if they are truly mentally and physically right? I see his point, he wants Markelle to have as many minutes as he can at the guard position and with the ball in his hands. In theory that makes sense, run him more with the second unit where he’ll be the primary ball handler and top option. But that doesn’t make it not weird. You would think Brown would want his best players on the floor at all times, and if Fultz is truly that good, it’s an interesting decision.
Their “problem” if you can even call it that is the fact that Redick is showing no signs of slowing down. Those advanced numbers are no joke, and I can understand not wanting to mess that up. But to me, you are already adjusting your starting lineup, and isn’t making sure you take care of Fultz mentally way more important than catering to JJ Redick? I can’t imagine this team is better off, especially on the defensive end. We all saw how Redick got roasted in the playoffs. But here’s the thing. Like with all rookies (I’m calling Fultz a rookie because let’s face it, he sort of is) Fultz is going to have peaks and valleys. Fortunately there is a veteran guard presence like Redick where Brett Brown can be crafty in his rotations. So while I don’t see that as a bad thing, I just wonder if Fultz will be able to mentally handle starting, and then coming off the bench just for a few more minutes a night with the ball in his hands. I mean we honestly have no idea how he’ll respond.
Granted, this is preseason, and the exact time I would want my coach tinkering with certain rotations and substitution patters in order to get ready for the regular season. I just can’t think of another #1 pick that had this sort of treatment. I can understand why Sixers fans would see this as a positive, because it means they have talent on their roster and I agree, it would just make me nervous. Like if Fultz is 100% cleared medically, let the kid play. Rip the band aid off and see what he has. Maybe this is something that would switch up on a nightly basis depending on how both guys look, but I feel like at some point you need some sort of set in stone rotation. Guys need to know their role and what they can expect.
With all the bullshit that Fultz is going to have to deal with from opposing crowds throughout the year, are we sure this is the best idea? Time will tell, and Brett Brown is a really smart coach who I’m sure knows what he’s doing, but man, that would be something if this is a strategy the Sixers actually utilize once the games count for real.