Rookie Markelle Fultz Claims 76ers Are ‘Going To Be In The Playoffs This Year’

The Philadelphia 76ers have gone from a perennial bottom-feeder in the Eastern Conference to one of the most promising young teams in the NBA. After numerous seasons of disappointment and supposed tanking, the 76ers may be on the verge of getting back on track with rookie Markelle Fultz potentially leading the way.

According to Fultz, the 76ers will be playoff bound next season. Philadelphia will have Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, Ben Simmons, and Fultz ready to compete with the Washington product making a bold statement about the team’s immediate future, via Matt Bowker of CSN Philly:

“We’re going to be in the playoffs this year, and I think everybody is willing to put forth their best effort and listen to the coaches and listen to the bench. We’ve got to just do whatever it takes to get there,” Fultz told CSNPhilly. “That’s practicing even harder, that’s doing extra work in the gym by ourselves, I mean, we’re going to do whatever it takes.”

With the Eastern Conference a much weaker conference after all the events of the NBA offseason, Fultz may be right on the money with his prediction that Philadelphia will be in the playoffs next season.

Of course, there’s no telling whether Fultz or Simmons is the real deal. The two young players are back-to-back No. 1 overall picks in the NBA Draft, but neither player has played a single game on the next level.

Along with Simmons and Fultz’s lack of experience, Embiid, who played his first season last year, has dealt with numerous injury issues shedding doubt on his long-term future. Embiid is without a doubt the real deal in terms of his talent, but longevity may be a problem.