Philadelphia 76ers Guard Markelle Fultz Will Start His Rookie Season on the Bench
It's official. Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown has confirmed that rookie guard Markelle Fultz is coming off the bench in Wednesday's season opener against the Washington Wizards.
"He hasn't played much basketball in preseason. He's been out for a while. He hasn't been with our group. I think the decision like, 'do you put him into the fire right away and have him play against starting NBA defensive players, especially with the little foundation that he has?' I don't think that's smart," Brown told reporters on Sunday, according to Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Fultz has been dealing with a right shoulder injury for most of the offseason and it has affected his shooting form. His right knee has been bothering him as well and he sat out a couple of preseason games because of the injury.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
First overall picks don't usually come off the bench in their first regular season game in the National Basketball Association (NBA), but Fultz hasn't really played much with the rest of the starters during the preseason and he's going to need some time to gel with his teammates. Fortunately, Fultz doesn't seem to mind playing a reserve role.
"At the end of the day, I want to do whatever I've got to do to help my team win. So if that's coming off the bench, I'm fine with that. Just contribute any ways I can," Fultz said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Of course, Fultz's move to the bench is only temporary and he should move to the starting lineup at some point this season.
In the meantime, the rookie guard should get the chance to handle the ball more often with the second unit, and he will be playing alongside Dario Šarić and Jahlil Okafor.
Jerryd Bayless should get the start at shooting guard for now.
