The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to be a top-three team in the Eastern Conference this season, and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley believes second-year guard Markelle Fultz will be the key to the Sixers' success.
The Sixers' two best players are point-forward Ben Simmons and center Joel Embiid. Simmons won Rookie of the Year last season, while Embiid earned his first All-Star selection. Both players are expected to be even better this year.
Fultz, meanwhile, had one of the strangest rookie seasons in recent memory. He was sidelined most of the year with a scapular muscle imbalance in his right shoulder and only played in 14 games.
Fultz's trainer, Drew Hanlen, said earlier in the offseason that the 20-year-old had the case of the yips, which played a big part in his unorthodox shooting mechanics last season. Hanlen worked hard with Fultz all summer to help the guard get his shot back in order and, from what we have seen in preseason, the early returns are very positive.
Barkley says if Fultz can be the third reliable offensive cog on the Sixers, Philadelphia can compete with the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors in the East.
“Well, they're going to have a good team because Ben [Simmons], Joel [Embiid] are terrific and [Dario] Saric,” Barkley told DeArbea Walker of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It's going to come down to Markelle Fultz. How well he plays is how good the team can be.
“Toronto and Boston are probably ahead of them. But that all depends on Markelle. Markelle is the key.”
Fultz averaged 7.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game last season while shooting 40.5 percent from the field. The former No. 1 overall pick is supposedly a completely different player now. When he's healthy, both mentally and physically, Fultz can create his own shot off the dribble and get to the basket and finish at the rim.
The former University of Washington standout put on a show in his lone year of college basketball. The 6-foot-4 combo guard averaged 23.2 points and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 50.2 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from beyond the arc. The Sixers are hoping Fultz can be that third dynamic player and help lead the franchise to a championship.
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