Philadelphia 76ers: 5 takeaways from 2017 NBA Summer League
1. Markelle Fultz will be up for the Rookie of the Year award
Shooting guard Markelle Fultz didn’t get a whole lot of time to prove himself in Summer League play. He was limited in the amount of games he appeared in, but his play showed the potential he has to become a rising star in the NBA.
Fultz only played one game in Las Vegas Summer League but in Salt Lake City he was stellar. He averaged 20.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 blocks through their two appearances there. He scored 17 points in his debut game, although the victory was spoiled by a game-winner from fellow 2017 draft pick, Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.
In Game 2, Fultz put up 23 points, five assists and five rebounds. Although both games came in a losing effort, Fultz showed he’s not shy, nor does he lack the skill-set to be a volume scorer in the NBA.
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Fultz did hurt himself to begin Summer League play in Las Vegas, but sidelining him was simply a precaution. He certainly missed out on facing the younger talent across the NBA but he has time to catch up before training camp.