Washington’s Markelle Fultz is one of the most talented prospects in the 2017 NBA Draft, and likely to go No. 1 to the Boston Celtics. But setting aside that probability, let’s take a look at the five best fits for the 18-year old guard.
The casual NBA fan might not have been introduced to the top prospect in the NBA Draft. He played at the University of Washington for one season, in which his team finished with a 9-22 record and didn’t sniff the NCAA Tournament. They only won two games in conference and had a losing streak of 13 games at one point. Despite all of that, Markelle Fultz is widely viewed as the best prospect in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Fultz, a freshman, averaged 23.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. His scoring per game was ranked No. 6 in the NCAA. He was a 47.6 percent shooter from the field, while connecting on 41.3 percent of his 3-point attempts. His free-throw percentage isn’t that great at 65 percent, but it’s something that can easily be improved at the next level.
Physically, the Washington ball handler is suited for success at point guard, standing at 6-foot-4, with a 6-foot-10 wingspan. According to Draft Express, Fultz has huge hands, a solid frame and is a plus athlete.
Although Fultz didn’t necessarily have the team success that he would have hoped for, individually he was recognized for his stellar play. Per Draft Express, Fultz had the highest PER of any freshman in the nation. He was voted to Pac-12’s First Team All-Conference and All-Freshman team.
Per Draft Express, the Washington guard is an exceptional playmaker, let it be for his own shot or his teammate’s. His versatility to be either on-ball or off-ball mean that he can be drafted by a team that needs either a point guard or shooting guard. Throw in better athletes and teammates around Fultz and the sky is the limit for this star. Just like any 18-year old, there are weaknesses in Fultz’s game that needs to be corrected at the next level.
Some of the major weaknesses in Fultz’s game was that he didn’t show up in big games against better talent. Their biggest games were against UCLA and Lonzo Ball, where they lost by an average of 36.5 points per game. Fultz played in the first matchup at home, where he had 25 empty points. Next, Fultz has the proper physical tools to be a good defender, but doesn’t seem to put it all together on that end of the floor.
With the NBA Draft about a month away, let’s take a look at five teams that would be the best fits for Markelle Fultz.
5. New York Knicks
Knicks’ fans should be ecstatic if Markelle Fultz fell to the No. 8 overall pick, but it ain’t gonna happen. If New York wants its’ hands on the best overall prospect in the NBA Draft, they’ll have to trade up and get him. Heading into 2017-18, the Knicks won’t have a viable option at point guard, with Derrick Rose off the books.
They should turn to the NBA Draft to address this position of dire need. With Carmelo Anthony on the back-nine of his career and Kristaps Porzingis starting to emerge as the face of the franchise, adding Fultz could lead to some fireworks. The dynamic, play-making point guard would be perfect in Madison Square Garden. He’d be the right ball handler to put aside Porzingis and it could be a young duo for the Knicks to build around.
New York didn’t have much production from their starting point guard anyways. Rose only started in 64 of the 82 games and averaged 18 points and 4.4 assists per game. He was a veteran option that was likely only a stop gap before the Knicks find someone for the future.
The New York market would be perfect for a potential star like Markelle Fultz. The Big Apple is known to elevate players who have star qualities within themselves. If Phil Jackson and the Knicks are able to add Fultz, they could have the best point guard since Mark Jackson.