The Philadelphia 76ers lost to the Boston Celtics on opening night Tuesday, and it was a rough evening for second-year guard Markelle Fultz, who got the start in place of veteran sharpshooter J.J. Redick.
Fultz scored just five points on 2-of-7 shooting from the field and had three turnovers as well. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, who has never been one to mince words, wasn't impressed with what he saw from Fultz and is demanding the former No. 1 overall pick to get it together and play better.
“I'm just gonna say it like it is,” Smith said. “Markelle Fultz ain't ready. He's gotta be better. I'm rooting for the kid. I'm not rooting against him. But somehow, someway, somebody's got to look Markelle Fultz in the face and say, ‘My brother, the only thing you've made noise about in your basketball career is that you showed up at the BET awards with Kevin Hart. That's it.'”
Can somebody wake Markelle Fultz up????? Pretty Please. With Sugar on top, damnit! pic.twitter.com/qRuwBDhO9i
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) October 17, 2018
Fultz had a strange rookie season with the Sixers, and his sophomore campaign is off to a tough start. He was sidelined most of last year with scapular muscle imbalance in his right shoulder, and only played in 14 games. Fultz worked with renowned shooting coach Drew Hanlen in the offseason to get his shot back in order. Hanlen said Fultz had the case of the yips, which played a big part in Fultz’s unorthodox shooting mechanics in 2017-18.
Reports over the summer stated Fultz rebuilt his jumper and is a completely different player now. It's only one game, but Fultz didn't look like a vastly improved player in the opener. To be fair, other than Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, the whole Sixers team struggled in the loss.
Markelle Fultz and the Sixers will get a chance to redeem themselves Thursday when they take on the Chicago Bulls at home.
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