OKC Thunder NBA Draft prospect series: Markelle Fultz
Atop the extremely deep class of 2017 prospects Markelle Fultz is deemed by virtually everyone as a future star. Sam Presti won’t snare Fultz unless he decides to part with half of the OKC roster. Nor is starting point guard the Thunder’s concern. Still, TI examines the best point guard to emerge in years.
Every mock draft has Markelle Fultz sitting atop their ladders. The big question is whether Danny Ainge wants to draft Fultz or trade away the pick with a view to landing a proven entity. Rumors of Paul George and Jimmy Butler being available add intrigue to the June 22 draft night. Remember, Boston still has the Brooklyn Nets pick next year with another deep class expected. Factor in Boston finished atop the Eastern Conference and have a star in Isaiah Thomas who will be a free agent in the summer of 2018.
Of all the roster specific positions in Boston, point guard is arguably their deepest. Aside from All-Star and fourth quarter scoring dynamo Thomas, there is Marcus Smart who fits the Celtic identity to a tee. Additionally, the Celtics are fostering youngster Terry Rozier as their future back-up.
Heading into draft night what Danny Ainge does with the top pick will likely dictate what occurs the rest of the evening and more specifically in free agency.
The other intriguing aspect of Fultz is the comparison’s he’s already garnering to NBA pro’s like Bradley Beal, Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook. Noting the common denominator here (these are all shooting guards and Westbrook began as a SG) is the potential for Fultz to play the shooting guard position. In this scenario the potential is to play Thomas and Fultz together and trade Bradley or move him to the bench (blasphemy) is an option for Ainge and coach Brad Stevens.
Specifics
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 195 Ibs
Wingspan: 6’9 and 3/4″
Position: Point Guard
Age: 19 years
Freshman Stats: 23.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.2 blocks
College: Washington (Freshman)
Home Town: Upper Marlboro, Maryland, USA
Current rankings
Markelle Fultz is the consensus number one pick on every draft board TI researched. And, while Lonzo Ball has talent, the gap between the two is palpable.
DraftExpress: 1st overall prospect
NBA DraftNet: 1st
Scott Howard-Cooper nba.com: 1st
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor:1st
CBS Sports: 1st
Basketball Insiders: 1st
Sean Deveney of Sporting News: 1st
Hoops Hype: 1st
Jeremy Woo SI.com, The Crossover: 1st
Skills:
The skill set is diverse with Fultz being capable of doing it all in key categories. He’s more of a score first point guard, but has the ability to create for his teammates. His versatile offense allows him to drive, hit from the field or maneuver to create shots for his teammates.
A solid rebounder for his position and a capable defender which may not have been as apparent this season given Washington was lacking in personnel. Both Marquese Chriss and Dejounte Murray exited in last season’s draft leaving the coffers bare, which meant Fultz had to do it all. And, do it all he did, akin to the NCAA version of Westbrook – Fultz was responsible for close to 50 percent of Washington’s offense.
"Fultz is a tantalizingly gifted shot-creator, sporting an extraordinary combination of body control, ball-handling, footwork and pace. He changes speeds, directions and uses both hands innately, spinning off opponents, splitting ball-screens frequently, and finishing with euro-steps. He combines his ability to get wherever he wants on the floor with outstanding shot-making prowess off the dribble, making 42% of his pull-up jumpers on the season, with his 1.02 PPP ranking second best among draft prospects. -Source: ©DraftExpress"
Weaknesses
Questions surfaced whether Fultz was in fact a leader given how poorly his Huskies performed (9-22). Coupled with those defined weakness areas was his penchant for losing focus, forcing the play, turnovers and inability to measure up against stiffer competition.
Conversely, Fultz had to carry scoring, assists, rebounds some nights and defense. Adding him to a top notch NBA squad should only serve to erase most doubts in these areas. To wit, look at what Russell Westbrook had to navigate without floor spacing, shooters and elite talent this season. Obviously Fultz isn’t close to being in Westbrook’s wheelhouse at this stage, but the comparison can be drawn to make the point.
Honors and awards:
- Pac-12’s 2017 First Team All-Conference
- Pac 12 All-Freshman 2017 team
- Third Team All-American 2017
- FIBA Under 18 Americas- Most Valuable Player – 2016
- Nike Hoop Summit Participant 2016
- McDonald’s All American Participant 2016
More from Thunderous Intentions
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- Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
- 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
Pro Comparison:
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer provided a ceiling comparison for each of his prospects. O’Connor’s list for Fultz was: James Harden, Brando Roy and Gilbert Arenas.
As mentioned there have been other comparison’s to Westbrook, Beal and Wade.
The fit:
Sure, If Sam Presti could find a way to lure Danny Ainge into an out right steal, Markelle Fultz is a transcendent talent. The problem with this thinking is Ainge is notorious for wanting to better whoever he does a deal with. Case in point, see Brooklyn Nets mired in the basement still burning from the trade that ruined their franchise for the foreseeable future.
There is also the matter of Fultz potentially being better suited to the shooting guard position, or like Westbrook someone who’ll grow into the starting point guard role.
Bottom line, the OKC Thunder aren’t likely to get a sniff at Fultz, nor should they be willing to give up the farm to get him. If there is a bright side, it appears Fultz will land in the east (even likely in a trade scenario), so OKC will only face him twice a season.