Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Process Comes Full Circle As Sixers Land #1 in Celtics Trade

Related image
Fultz Working Out for Sixers on Saturday.  Image Courtesy: PhillyInfluencer.com

University of Washington Guard Markelle Fultz will most likely be donning the Red, White, and Blue this coming Thursday night and the city of Philadelphia has erupted into absolute pandemonium!  But how did we get here? For 4 years now the city of Philadelphia has been using the phrase “Trust The Process” in regards to their basketball team and on Monday June 19th, 2017 it became official that trusting the process had finally payed off in the biggest of ways!  Sure, in 2014, did the Sixers potentially luck out by nabbing the loveable Cameroonian big man, Joel “The Process” Embiid, who took the NBA by storm in only 31 games after missing his 1st two seasons?  Yes.  And did the Sixers strike gold by landing the 1st overall pick in last years draft by selecting a potential generational talent in Ben Simmons, who was once held in current Head Coach Brett Brown's arms as a child?  Correct. But it seems the time has come where all of the real dirty work done by estranged former General Manager Sam Hinkie has paid off. Trades, pick swaps, Euro-stashes, buy-outs, 10-Day contracts, Jakarr Sampson, Hollis Thompson, so on and so forth we’ve finally reached what the process was all about.

Friday evening Adrian Wojranowski, basketball's version of Adam Schefter, along with Marc Stein and Zach Lowe revealed the Sixers, who own the number 3 pick in Thursday night's draft and the Boston Celtics, who own the top spot via the Brooklyn Nets had been discussing a potential trade that would send the Celtics’ first overall selection to the Sixers for a package of picks including Thursday's third overall selection.  I'm surprised Twitter didn't crash cause in such situations since it usually does.  Here are the details of the trade:

  • Sixers acquire the first overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft (G Markelle Fultz)
  • Celtics acquire the third overall pick in this year's draft AND either the Lakers 1st Round Pick next year if falls between picks 2-5 OR Kings first round pick in 2019 as long as it is not the 1st overall pick. (I believe would then receive the Sixers 2019 1st Runder, not 100% on that though).

Here’s what to know about Washington Universiry One-And-Done Freshman Phenom Guard Markelle Fultz:

  • From Upper Marlboro Maryland.
  • Measurables: Stands at 6-4, Weighs 195 lbs. and has a 6-9 wingspan.
  • Fultz is a perfect compliment to the Sixers.  He is the only Combo-Guard who plays both positions extremely well coming out in this year's draft.  Fultz can run the offense AND he can play off the ball if the Sixers really believe Ben Simmons will be the team's Point Guard (in which I still have a hard time buying and you can read my opinion in my last blog post  (UNPOPULAR OPINION: Ben Simmons Not a PG/Can Coexist with De'Aaron Fox)
  • Fultz in his Freshman year at Washington averaged 23.2 PPG, 5.9 APG, 5.7 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 1.2 BPG.  Fultz had a FG% of 47.6, 3P% of 41.3, FT% of 64.9 while playing 35.7 MPG.
  • Washington went 9-22 but like Ben Simmons last year the rest of the team was terrible and made coaching changes throughout the year.
  • Went to DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, Maryland, in which he will be the 18th player drafted in the NBA Draft from the school, as well as was the HS Alma Mater of Eagles HOF FS Brian Dawkins...Good Company!
  • Fultz was cut from DeMatha’s Varsity Basketball squad in his sophomore year for being undersized.
  • Had offers towards the end of HS from the likes of UNC and Kentucky but chose Washington because they noticed him and took to him back when one of the scouts happened to get to DeMatha early and caught Fultz’s JV game, where the scout said along the lines of if this kid grows not only will he be an NBA Player but a star in the league.
  • Fultz recently signed a Sneaker deal with Nike but he did consider signing with Crazy MadMan LaVar Ball’s Big Baller Brand, headlined by his oldest son Lonzo Ball who very well could go 2nd Overall in the draft behind Fultz.
  • Won Gold with the 2016 USA National Team in the FIBA Americas U18 Championship.

I will break down more of Fultz’s game in a post next week as well as how it affects the rest of the team and what they should do in Free Agency, beginning July 1st.  But just know this was Sam’s plan the whole time when it came to trusting the process, acquire assets for the day you need the best player in the draft or a top level talent under contract that will finalize the squad to compete for a NBA Championship.  Right now is a time to rejoice because things MAY finally be looking up, but once Free Agency is over it is time for the team to get healthy, get on the court, and put the next phase of the process in motion.  Again, on behalf of all of the true Sixers fans who trusted the process from Day One, THANK YOU for this opportunity!

  • Continue to” Trust The Process”!!!

No comments:

Post a Comment