Celtics fans need to stop belittling Markelle Fultz - gets enough from 76'ers fans

I am honestly through making fun of Markelle Fultz. I have been involved with some of the "broken shot" satire, and I will still critique his play, or lack thereof, but I refuse to belittle him any more. Mark Allison's Green Envy piece in CelticsLife was the driving force behind this.


Here are some comments from Philly fans on Markelle's performance last night versus the Celtics:

Anyone seen Fultz? Is he playing? Was he a late scratch?
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I think I saw him get a rebound

man it hurts so much to watch tatum make all these buckets

fultz looks invisible out there. watching him do absolutely nothing while tatum looks like kobe 2.0 makes me sad.

I know it’s way too soon, but that trade looks right now like a franchise defining move for both Philly and Boston, for different reasons.

I’m sad. Fultz comes out we go on a run

Markelle brings the ball up court and just gets out the way.

Oh boy, boston politely standing and watching fultz

Paging Mr. Fultz…is there a Markelle Fultz (still) in the building???

Part of Markelle's dilemma is that last night he was playing against the guy, Jayson Tatum, that is causing much of the rhetoric. We have to remember that Fultz could not control the trade between Boston and Philadelphia that made him the first pick in the draft and Tatum third. Markelle can also not control just how good Jayson has become - and so quickly.

For the record, last night Tatum had a 23/9/3 line while Fultz had a line of 5/3/2. I wrote recently that the Philly Process has become an Experiment, largely surrounding the Fultz/Ben Simmons back-court. It was only one game, but the 76'ers lost, while Fultz also looked lost out there. The Experiment didn't work last night (per NJ.com's Anthony Gilbert):

Fultz did not move the needle in the season opener, and the trade will continue to haunt the Sixers unless Fultz develops into a top-line talent -- especially as Tatum grows into a star.

That's it in a nutshell. Fultz didn't move the needle - his team lost - and he will need to weather the Tatum vs. Fultz comparisons that will surely continue. But hopefully the ridicule will not. You will see no further Fultz-belittling by me - unless, of course, he earns it by doing the same to any members of the Celtics organization.

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Photo via Andy Schwartz/Associated press