NBA Draft 2017 Prospect Watch: Markelle Fultz

Weaknesses

Arguably the most scrutinized part of Fultz’s game is the approach that he takes. At times, it seems as though Fultz plays without urgency and is willing to let the game go by without making a tremendous impact for extended periods of time.

In the NBA, Fultz will likely be drafted by a team that needs him to be “the guy” right away. This will hopefully cause him to take on a focus that we did not see at all times in the college game, as he will be called upon to do it all and make things happen for both himself and his teammates.

As far as actual output on the court, the most concerning thing is Fultz’s dip in production when facing high-quality competition. Again, as mentioned by DraftExpress, there were noted struggles during his lone collegiate season about how he fared against the elite:

"“Fultz struggled to maintain his effectiveness against better competition, as his offensive efficiency took a significant tumble in the games he played against elite-level opponents. He had a more difficult time turning the corner and getting into the paint in these games seemingly, and saw his shooting percentages drop to 48 percent from 2 and 38 percent for 3, while his assist to turnover ratio declined. Many of these games ended in blowouts, so it’s difficult to surmise how much we can take away from them.”"

In addition to those weaknesses, Fultz has struggled at times on the defensive end. Although he has all the athletic ability to be a stand-out defender, Fultz has been seen getting lost at the defensive end occasionally, as if he lost track of his man or simply was more focused about the ensuing offensive possession.

With the massive amount of offensive point guards in the current NBA game, Fultz developing a solid defensive repertoire might be the difference between him being an average NBA guard and an elite one.