Just like they demonstrated over the offseason, it’s hard to get a true gauge as to the intentions of the Philadelphia 76ers, especially with Markelle Fultz.
It started in the offseason, and it’s continued in a similar fashion in the early parts of the 2018-19 season.
The Philadelphia 76ers‘ offseason was one full of mixed messages. It commenced on draft day, when the Sixers’ traded down from their No. 10 overall selection in order to select raw phenom Zhaire Smith at No. 16 overall, while also receiving a future first round selection from the Phoenix Suns.
Despite this clearly indicating a look ahead to the future and a real intent on developing their own young talent, head coach Brett Brown boldly stated the following the very next day:
"“We are star hunting….that’s how you win a championship.”"
Amidst his bold declarations, Brown further elaborated on just why the deal was made:
Brett Brown on the Bridges trade: I love this kid. I love his mom. I love his coach. This was a great opportunity. Smith was our 1B. And there’s the 2021 pick... when high school players could be allowed. It could be the asset that gets us that star. WE ARE STAR HUNTING.”
— Amy Fadool Kane (@amyfadoolNBCS) June 22, 2018
It’s an unusual assertion, making a deal that may assist the franchise in landing a star player down the road.
Considering the team had just leapt from 28 to 52 wins, landing a player such as Mikal Bridges, who could’ve assisted the franchise immediately as it attempts to ascend into the upper echelon of teams in the league, seemed like a logical move.
However, the ensuing few months could not have turned out worse for the Sixers. Not only did they bomb out in trying to attract names such as LeBron James and Paul George, they also lost a key veteran duo in Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova. Ultimately, the only main additions for the offseason were veteran forward Wilson Chandler and stretch-big Mike Muscala.
Brett Brown made it very clear post game how much the Sixers need the home crowd to support Markelle Fultz, as they did tonight:" We need them. We appreciate them supporting him."
— Jon Johnson (@jonjohnsonwip) October 19, 2018
Having said this, the Sixers were returning with their starting five intact, who were incredible in recording the best net rating among all starting lineups that played at least 600 minutes last season.
Despite this success, coach Brown decided to change things up this season by inserting second-year guard Markelle Fultz in place of J.J. Redick. With his disastrous rookie season well documented, the idea of starting Fultz in order to hasten his development seems like a terrific move on the surface.
Unfortunately, it’s the manner in which it’s been executed that has left somewhat mixed messages, such as starting the game but coming off the bench to commence the second half with Redick taking his place.
It was the Sixers’ most recent encounter against the Detroit Pistons that left many onlookers scratching their heads. With Ben Simmons sidelined for the game, Fultz took the mantle as the starting point guard, and was showing plenty of promise and poise in posting 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 21 minutes of action.
For those asking, Brett Brown said he ended up going with TJ to end the game for ‘defensive reasons,’ since he has the NBA experience.
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) October 24, 2018
Despite the intentions of coach Brown to try to build Fultz’s confidence and role within the team, the fact that the 20-year-old Fultz did not return to the game after being subbed out with 10:12 remaining in the fourth quarter was perplexing. Granted, T.J. McConnell has improved leaps and bounds over the past couple of seasons, and has proven to be a more than adequate backup point guard.
Nonetheless, the opportunity to help Fultz grow as a player, particularly given his strong showing this game and with Simmons sidelined, seemed like an opportunity lost.
The following tweet, which can encompass a number of areas, such as the aforementioned 2018 NBA Draft, is a strong and accurate statement on the current outlook of the Sixers as a whole:
Here’s the bottom line: the Sixers need to have a real plan and stick to it. You have to actually be willing to commit to an ideology, which is something they haven’t done since April 2016. And now it’s more important than ever.
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) October 24, 2018
While the season is still in its infancy, it’s true the Sixers should be far more definitive when it comes to Markelle Fultz’s role and their overall approach to winning.
If they continue to hedge their bets, it’s not going to be beneficial for anyone involved.