Even in short summer league stint, Markelle Fultz proves he's right for Sixers

LAS VEGAS – Watching the 76ers and Boston Celtics Tuesday in an NBA Summer League battle at the Thomas & Mack Center, one player stood out. There were silky-smooth jumpers and profitable drives to the basket added to an all-around game that seems as if it has been in the league for many years. Jayson Tatum seems to be proving Celtics president Danny Ainge a genius for dropping down in the draft, collecting assets, and still corralling the former Duke forward with the third overall pick. It has some Sixers fans wondering if the team did the right thing by moving up and taking Markelle Fultz with the first pick.

But it's not just Tatum's play here that has some second-guessing Sixers president Bryan Colangelo's decision to draft Fultz. There are others whose play has fueled the discussion.

The Sixers began the summer-league playoffs Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers and their No. 2 pick, Lonzo Ball. The much-hyped point guard out of UCLA, whose family has its  own bleacher section behind one of the baskets at the T&M, has has displayed keen court awareness, flamboyant and pinpoint passing and a nose for the ball that is as good as anyone here.

Josh Jackson, the No. 4 pick,  has shown some flashes for the Phoenix Suns, with a wonderful ability to run the floor and finish, or make the right decisions with passes to teammates. But his shot seemingly needs a lot of work and he has disappeared during a chunk of minutes in games.

De'Aaron Fox, the fifth pick, may turn out to be one of the best players in this draft as his game will seamlessly transition in the NBA with his speed and quickness. He has shown an ability to score for the Sacramento Kings here, and is a blur at the defensive end, getting deflections all over the place while averaging almost three steals a game.

Dennis Smith, Jr., taken ninth by the Dallas Mavericks, might be the best all-around player in this league so far with a motor that rivals Russell Westbrook's. He is everywhere on the floor, dominating at both ends with a fearless attitude and an in-your-face mentality that puts opponents on their heels. And, Utah's Donovan Mitchell, the 13th pick, very well may be a big reason Jazz fans can recover from the team losing Gordon Hayward to free agency. He is a physical monster with a soft touch and a defensive tenacity that is as entertaining as anything anyone does at the offensive end of the floor.

Those are just some of the players that have some skeptical about the selection of Fultz, even though we're only talking about a small sample size of summer-league games.

But as good as those players, and others, have been, it seems clear that Colangelo was spot-on in moving up to take the University of Washington product. Though his summer league was cut short due to a sprained left ankle, Fultz's game looks as if it will fit in perfectly with teammates Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and the rest of the deepest group coach Brett Brown has had since coming to the Sixers in the summer of 2013.

Tatum's game is midrange and at the rim. He profits from plays being run for him, from being isolated on a defender to do his work. That just wouldn't work with the Sixers, as his offensive game would only draw defenders toward the lane, where Embiid and Simmons need to do their work. Fox and Smith are ball dominant, which is what the organization wants Simmons to be. The up-tempo, pass-first offense will go through the 6-10 second-year player and neither Fox nor Smith would seem to be a comfortable fit. Mitchell's game could fit in any organization, especially at the defensive end, but Fultz just appears to be better in so many other areas.

There are many players that were chosen in the top half of the draft who will elicit arguments from fans concerning the selection of Fultz. But if this summer and these dizzying games have done anything, they've only further proven that Fultz was the right choice and should be a perfect fit.