Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown is taking Markelle Fultz out of the starting lineup going forward, but he is making it clear that Fultz has done nothing wrong to warrant losing his spot. The team dynamic changed dramatically following Jimmy Butler's arrival, and Brown is crediting that as the reason for the change to the starting lineup.
“He understands and we can't say this enough. Elton said it the other day: he's got so many people in this program that genuinely care for him. He's one of the team favorites. Just look at how they respond to him. Everybody wants Markelle Fultz to do well and they understand that he's 20 years old and has come in with a tremendous amount of expectation. We all get it. But I feel Markelle Fultz is surrounded by insulation with friends and team family and my judgment, Keith, is that he's fine with it.
“He's done nothing wrong. He's done nothing wrong. The circumstances [were] that we brought in a player like Jimmy Butler, and as I've said from Day 1, it was gonna be my call on how I handle this. Whether it's Jimmy Butler or not, this is my decision and we'll move on with it.”
#Sixers coach Brett Brown on Markelle Fultz, who lost his starting spot. pic.twitter.com/HpIU21ceiM
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) November 14, 2018
Of course, changing the lineup to fit the new personnel makes perfect sense. That being said, Fultz wouldn't need to be taken out of the starting lineup if he was shooting better. His form appears to be regressing and he's no longer working with his shooting coach, Drew Hanlen.
It's impossible to fault Brown for coming to the defense of Fultz, but the second-year player's career is clearly hitting another bump in the road.
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