1. Elevate postseason impact
Markelle Fultz made his comeback late in last year’s regular season, but it was very short-lived. He only appeared in a hand-full of games at the end of the year, and only about one of significance in the first round playoff series against the Miami Heat.
Head coach Brett Brown went with T.J. McConnell, who added the higher level of grit and experience for a majority of the first series, and for the duration of the following series against the Boston Celtics.
The main area of weakness that was quickly exposed on the Sixers was their inability to contain Boston’s athleticism and explosiveness at the guard and wing positions.
If Fultz is able to become the scorer that the team is desperately banking on, then he may be a huge factor in the playoffs, defending with his length and lateral quickness at 6’4″.
Now, especially against teams with the depth that the Celtics hold, Fultz should provide some much-needed help on both sides of the ball if all goes to plan.