Hoops Habit
Fansided

Philadelphia 76ers: 2017 NBA Draft grades

By Jerran Anderson

Jun 23, 2017; Camden, NJ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers 2017 draft picks (left to right), Anzejs Pasecniks, Markelle Fultz, Jonah Bolden, and Mathias Lessort pose after their introductory press conference at Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2017; Camden, NJ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers 2017 draft picks (left to right), Anzejs Pasecniks, Markelle Fultz, Jonah Bolden, and Mathias Lessort pose after their introductory press conference at Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Philadelphia 76ers
Jun 23, 2017; Camden, NJ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number 1 overall draft pick Markelle Fultz (center) poses with owner Joshua Harris (left) and general manager Bryan Colangelo (right) during an introductory press conference at Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 1 — Markelle Fultz

Point guard Markelle Fultz headlined this year’s 2017 NBA Draft class as the first overall pick out of Washington University. Fultz entered this year’s draft with a lot of hype and he hopes to live up to it after landing in Philadelphia.

Fultz is a 6’4″ guard with tons of potential on both ends of the floor. He averaged 23.2 points, 5.9 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game in 25 games for the Washington Huskies in his lone season. He shot 47.6 percent from the floor and 41.3 percent from three as well.

Fultz led the Pac-12 in points per game, was second in assists per game and fourth in steals per game. He brings scoring, ball distribution, three-point shooting and defense to a team in desperate need of support in each category.

He’s the perfect pick-and-roll player to have with Embiid and Simmons on the floor, even with Simmons at the point-forward position.

Teammate Joel Embiid tweeted out a welcome to Fultz to the squad and fellow PG County native Kevin Durant gave Fultz a separate shoutout as well.

Fultz is a native of Prince Georges County in Maryland and attended DeMatha High School. He is the 18th NBA player drafted out of DeMatha High School and the first player selected as the first overall pick.

Grade: A

Home/NBA Draft