NBA: No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz unfazed by hype and pressure

Here was the plan at the end of the Celtics-76ers game Monday afternoon: Get the ball to Markelle Fultz.

It made a lot of sense. The former Washington Husky had a team-leading 17 points, and the ball belonged in his hands as the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA draft.

Down by a point, Fultz drove in for the reverse layup — and was blocked. Boston wins. Philadelphia loses. Game over.

NBA careers are rarely a straight upward climb into stardom, even for top overall picks. But Fultz and the 76ers aren't the types to be discouraged by little hurdles.

"This is what we're here for, right?" 76ers assistant coach and summer league coach Billy Lange said afterward. "As much as we want to win, especially when we're playing the Boston Celtics, it's to learn a lot and to put guys like Markelle, who are a part of our bright future, in situations they can learn from."

Added Lange: "He called it, he ripped it, he drove it, he attacked it, he just missed it."

As they say in Philly: Trust the process.

There was no small subtext to Monday's summer league game. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge watched from the entrance tunnel of the Huntsman Center, getting eyes on the No. 1 draft pick he traded away. The game-winning shot came off the hands of former Duke player Jayson Tatum, whom Boston traded Philadelphia for (he had 21 points).

Fultz was a No. 1 pick because of the things he can do. He led the Pac-12 in scoring last season (23.2 ppg) and also was one of the leaders in rebounding. Monday's game showed his propensity for chase-down blocks (he had three). Lange called him a "shake-and-bake" player, given his shiftiness on the floor and ability to glide around defenders.

But his best quality might be how he lets the many things that come with being a top pick slide off his shoulders. Fultz doesn't seem to buy in.

"It's just another day to play basketball," he said. "I don't really look at the cameras. It doesn't really bother me."

That may seem like a sound bite, but teammates and coaches say it reflects a genuine sentiment. Fultz doesn't care about any expectations but his own and those of his team.

Melo Trimble, one of Fultz's summer league teammates, grew up with Fultz in Upper Marlboro, Md. He's seen Fultz's journey from being cut from DeMatha Catholic's varsity squad as a sophomore to developing into a top 10 prep prospect to becoming an all-conference guard at Washington.

Trimble's take? He's still the same kid he knew back in Prince George's County.

"He's been cool," he said. "I'm happy for him. I'm proud of the way he's acted. He's not being cocky or arrogant or anything like that. He's been the same person."

The goal, of course, is for Fultz to take the steps necessary to be a star at the NBA level. He already can do a lot, from driving to shooting deep. One of the things Lange was happiest about Monday night was Fultz's intensity on defense.

Other things will take time. Fultz had four turnovers against one assist, and he said he struggled to find the right tempo at certain times during the game. Lange added that if Fultz wants to be a point guard, he'll have to tighten up his handle and work at being a leader to veterans.

"You can't force it," Lange said. "You just have to talk to him about it and allow him to be confident in his own skin."

For Fultz, none of this seems like too much to conquer. He's not the kind to get anxious about the mountainous expectations of others. He's got his own to worry about.

"To me, all that matters is my expectations and my team's expectations," he said. "Coming in as a point guard, I want to be a leader. That's my goal. That's all I'm looking forward to."

kgoon@sltrib.com Twitter: @kylegoon