Markelle Fultz is a remarkable talent on the basketball court, but is the likely No. 1 overall selection in the 2017 NBA Draft a winner?
The Washington guard led his team to a 9-22 record in his only season in Seattle, and apparently, that’s one of the reasons the Boston Celtics opted to pass on the multi-faceted Fultz when they reportedly agreed to trade the top selection in Thursday’s draft to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The C’s reportedly will receive the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 draft, as well as a first-round pick in either the 2018 NBA Draft — via the Los Angeles Lakers — or the 2019 NBA Draft — via the Sacramento Kings.
Fultz’s offensive talent is undeniable. The electric guard averaged 23.2 points, 5.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds during his freshman season, but he failed to fill the most important part of the stat sheet — wins.
There is no doubt Fultz didn’t benefit from a talented supporting cast the way other expected lottery picks Josh Jackson, Lonzo Ball and Jayson Tatum did, but it’s not unreasonable to expect the top pick in the draft to lead his team to more than nine wins.
And so, the C’s passed on an ultra-talented guard in favor of future assets and the hope that Jackson, who led Kansas to the Elite Eight, still will be available when Boston picks at No. 3 on Thursday.
Only time will tell if Fultz can lead the 76ers out of the basement and into the NBA playoffs.
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