2018 NBA playoffs running thread

Probably hard to properly integrate him into the rotation with only around 10 actual regular season games. For this year's team, with a path to the finals suddenly looking plausible because of injuries to Boston, the Cavs looking really mortal and the Raptors having their usual yips, you can't really screw around with trying to work Fultz in midstream in the playoffs. (But christ, they should be terrifying next year.)

 

I really thought (hoped) Carmelo would find his second career as a catch-and-shoot guy that could take advantage of Westbrook's ability to get in the lane and find space in the corners and on the wings.

But he still think he's 27-year-old Carmelo and trying to break guys down in isolation and wait for a clear out...He doesn't have the tools or the footwork to do that anymore and it's sad to watch.

 

Its painful to see him insist that the contested 20 fter is "studly".

 

You kind of wonder if they did more harm than good by activating him at all this year. Especially since he doesn’t seem to have a lot of confidence to begin with.

 

The weird thing is that when he's wide open, he's still not hitting shots. I think it can be hard to get a rhythm in Oklahoma City's system and playing with Russ, but you figured his efficiency would still improve a bit, going from #1 option to #3. The injuries might have just permanently damaged his skills.

 

Eh, I think it's better that he put in some work the last week of the season. Otherwise, you would have had months of "Is Fultz a bust???" chatter over the summer.

 

Fultz missed 67 games and still has no confidence in his jumper. It can’t be a shock he’s getting no playing time in the most meaningful games of the year. Who cares if he was the No. 1 pick. McConnell has earned his spot.

 

Otherwise?? Has Fultz done something to silence that noise that I missed?

I think that chatter's still gonna happen.

 

As Stoney said, that chatter will happen regardless. He’s actually feuling it more by playing a few minutes here and there, because he looks so lost.

I know he’s just got to play his way out of it, but a fresh start next season may have been more beneficial than this.

 

I think it would have been a huge risk keeping him off the court through the whole season into the off-season. The kid seems to have a really fragile head as it is. He needed to get on the floor, even if he sucked.

 

He managed a triple double in a game, and his passing numbers were pretty good. I'm not saying that you can suddenly project him to be an all-star, but him looking at least like an NBA player for 14 games was probably better than him taking a 0 for the whole season. The questions instead are "Will Fultz live up to his potential?" vs. "Will Fultz ever play an NBA minute again?" Likewise, I thought it was smart that they brought him back with little fanfare, instead of hyping his first game back.