The Philadelphia Sixers created a bit of a buzz when Markelle Fultz was named to the starting lineup. It has been a long road for Fultz since underwhelming in his first NBA season after the Sixers traded up to select him with the No. 1 pick of the 2017 NBA draft.
The 76ers have one of the most talented rosters in the NBA and will be even more imposing in the Eastern Conference if Fultz becomes a key contributor this season. Fultz’s move to the starting lineup means J.J. Redick will come off the bench in a likely sixth man role. Fultz is expected to play point guard, and it will be interesting to see how the Sixers use Ben Simmons since he played a majority of his minutes last season at the position.
“How do I grow Markelle and especially with Ben [Simmons] and Joel [Embiid]?” Sixers head coach Brett Brown explained to Yahoo Sports. “How do I win games and put us in a position to move us forward? And how do you deliver a team to the end of April and May and hopefully June that’s better when it started? You may have to experience some pain along the way as you rotate your team. I’m extremely motivated by Markelle at this early stage of his career he’s best with the ball as a point guard… as we study the rotations we are going to persevere. It’s come with a lot of thought. It doesn’t make it right but it’s after a lot of thought. I want to give this an appropriate amount of time. Everyone will have their own notion of what that equals.”
Here’s a look at the Sixers projected starting lineup to start the 2018-19 season.
Sixers Projected Starting Lineup for 2018-19 Season
C- Joel Embiid
PF- Dario Saric
SF- Robert Covington
SG- Ben Simmons
PG- Markelle Fultz
Fultz appears to be excited about taking over the starting point guard position.
“I’m very appreciative and happy…,” Fultz told Yahoo Sports. “Almost like a pat on the back for myself for all the hard work I put in during the summer but we still have a goal and things to take care of. So back to work.”
Let’s take a look at the full 76ers roster.
Sixers Roster for the 2018-19 Season
C- Joel Embiid, Amir Johnson
PF- Dario Saric, Mike Muscala
SF- Robert Covington, Zhaire Smith, Furkan Korkmaz, Wilson Chandler (injured)
SG- Ben Simmons, T.J. McConnell, Shake Milton
PG- Markelle Fultz, Jerryd Bayless, Landry Shamet, Demetrius Jackson
The Sixers have one of the most talented, young rosters in the NBA. With LeBron James in the Western Conference, the Sixers are expected to compete with the Celtics for the Eastern Conference title. According to OddsShark, Philadelphia’s win total is set at 53.5, just a little higher than their 52 wins last season.
It was a bit of a boring offseason for the Sixers in terms of acquisitions, but this could be a good thing for Philly. The Sixers retained Redick and drafted Zhaire Smith. For the Sixers to improve, it will be because their young core took a step forward with another year of experience under their belt.
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76ers Roster & Starting Lineup for 2018