The Philadelphia 76ers opened up their NBA Summer League play on Monday, July 3 with a game against the Boston Celtics, which meant two of the top picks in the 2017 NBA draft would be squaring off. On this night, the spotlight was mainly on former Duke standout and current Celtics forward Jayson Tatum against the top pick in the draft, 76ers guard Markelle Fultz.
Both players saw their fair share of playing time in the opener, and while Jayson Tatum impressed while playing heavy minutes (33) with 21 points, seven rebounds, five steals and three assists, all eyes were on Fultz from the word go. Here’s a look at his final stat line from the game, which was an 89-88 win for the Celtics:
- Markelle Fultz: 22 minutes, 17 points, three blocks, two rebounds, one steal and one assist
Fultz did shoot 6-of-16 from the field (37.5 percent) and 2-of-5 from 3-point range (40 percent). Finally, he had four turnovers and a plus/minus rating of -12. His first basket of his NBA career was a pretty one, as the 76ers official Twitter showed.
.@MarkelleF gets us on the board! #SummerSixers t.co/8vzFhgLstG
And in case you were looking for some additional highlights of Fultz, here’s a look at the former Washington star getting it done on the defensive end and also finishing with a sweet spin move.
Let’s take another look, shall we? #SummerSixers
*fans self*
All-in-all, it’s hard to say that Fultz doesn’t look like he at least has the potential to live up to all the hype he has surrounding him entering the league. He only played 22 minutes, so it seems likely that the team isn’t looking to overdo it with him before the actual season begins.
But still, it is just one game, and he’s yet to go up against some of the best players in the league, which will certainly be the real test for both him and the up-and-coming 76ers as well.
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NBA Summer League: Sixers G Markelle Fultz Impresses in Debut