Markelle Fultz has scaled the first step on the near-infinite staircase to living up to being the number-one overall pick. Examples of some of the steps that appear on this staircase:
Step 1: become an acceptable free-throw shooter (this one he’s already done)
Step 2: become an acceptable three-point shooter
Step 3: play effectively off the ball
Step 4: master the pick-and-roll
…..
Step 56: abandon the team that nurtured you to form a superteam in Miami
Step 57: hold an outrageous press event after forming your superteam
…..
Step 192: abandon your superteam to go back to the team that nurtured you
Step 193: win a championship with your old new team (note to Magic fans: I estimate that Fultz will reach this step around the year 2029, so just be patient).
There are more steps after that (I told you this staircase was near-infinite), but the one we’re concerned about right now is step 2: becoming an acceptable three-point shooter. Fultz has shown enough to me this year that I think this is the clear next step in his evolution as a player. There’s only so far you can go hitting crafty midrange jumpers and finishing even craftier layups. If he can keep having 20-point outings like tonight without a long-ball, that’s fine, but those 20-point outings become 30-point outings pretty darn quick if he can chuck from deep like he did in college.