Washington Huskies PG Markelle Fultz Visit Sets Philadelphia 76ers Fans Abuzz

University of Washington Huskies point guard Markelle Fultz sat courtside to see the Philadelphia 76ers host the Brooklyn Nets. His visit has set the fans of the Philadelphia 76ers abuzz

Washington Huskies point guard Markelle Fultz is a highly regarded soft-spoken young man about to embark on a journey which will change his life forever. So important is this moment, that his interest in trying to get a “sneak peak” around the corner is perfectly understandable.

So he made it a point to catch a game between the Brooklyn Nets visiting the Philadelphia 76ers. While both teams have a chance at the top pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, the pick from the Brooklyn Nets will be claimed in a pick swap by the Boston Celtics.  If Markelle Fultz was auditioning for an NBA team, that team was the Philadelphia 76ers.

It was a good decision. The fans of the Philadelphia 76ers know basketball and with the team accumulating some of the best young talent in the NBA, Markelle Fultz has already been linked to the team as the “next wave”

Last Piece For Championship

But Markelle Fultz is a little bit more to the fans of the Philadelphia 76ers.  The fans have patiently awaited the arrival of elite talent while the team has struggled for the  past three years.  Despite the absence of 2016 top pick Ben Simmons, the Philadelphia 76ers improved remarkably this season.  The fans believe one more player, particularly Markelle Fultz, would be the last player needed to begin their playoffs and eventually championship run.

And they may be right.

Fortunately for the Philadelphia 76ers, they do hold a chance at drafting Markelle Fultz. The NBA Lottery gives any NBA team who do not advance to the playoffs a chance at the top overall picks. And so, the Philadelphia 76ers have a 13.2 percent chance of landing the top pick in the 2017 NBA Draft at the moment. That’s the fourth most likely team.

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But there is another way the Philadelphia 76ers could select point guard Markelle Fultz.  The team may end up with the pick of the Los Angeles Lakers (a 53.1 percent chance of it) and could use two top six picks to trade for the rights to Markelle Fultz.

Who’s Grooving Who?

And so, Markelle Fultz observed an NBA team suffer an historic beating, surrendering 141 points on their home court, but still have stands filled.  That left a deep impression on the young man, as well it should.

The city of Philadelphia has been the incubation chamber to some of the best basketball in the NBA.  From the sheer smiling expertise of “Dr. J” Julius Erving, to the flamboyance of “Chocolate Thunder” Darryl Dawkins, to the breathtaking choreography of “The Answer” Allen Iverson, NBA stars rise in Philadelphia.  Now the team is culturing a new NBA leader, “The Process” Joel Embiid.

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The team is surrounding his with some of the best young talent in the NBA.  But there is room for one more player.   And right now, the resume of Markelle Fultz is the perfect match to the job description of the team.

Markelle Fultz Will Thrive Playing For Philadelphia 76ers

But it’s not just one-sided.  Markelle Fultz is young, and still developing. The NBA is a harsh reality contrasting to the NCAA experience.  That’s why the Philadelphia 76ers have built a state of the art training facility.  To help players, the team now employs specialists in all areas of a players well-being: nutrition, medicine, and even support groups.

But most of all, the Philadelphia 76ers have the best NBA head coach for bringing the best out of young players.  Brett Brown is the reason for the team’s rapid improvement this season.  He has a long history of developing NBA players, and his defensive focus enables him to coach players up to two-way standouts.

But the Philadelphia 76ers just drafted Ben Simmons. And Ben Simmons, like Markelle Fultz, was an elite talent on an NCAA team that did not enjoy post-season success.  Simmons could guide Fultz through the novelty of the NBA while Fultz acclimates to the new lifestyle.

Philadelphia 76ers fans are all abuzz about Markelle Fultz’s visit last night.  And if we’re being honest, they have every right to be.

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A fan base that has waited and weathered four horrifically disastrous seasons is at the cusp of turning everything around.  It the eyes of many, it all begins when the Philadelphia 76ers select Markelle Fultz with the top pick of the 2017 NBA Draft.  At 13.1 percent, the odds are not great for that happening.  But only three other NBA teams have better odds, and Markelle Fultz was not watching them at courtside.