76ers' Fultz could keep starting 1st half, come off bench for 2nd

The Philadelphia 76ers are committed to rehabbing the confidence of Markelle Fultz, but only to a certain extent.

Fultz, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2017 draft, was named a starter heading into the preseason, but Sixers head coach Brett Brown is considering a unique arrangement in which Fultz then comes off the bench after halftime.

Brown debuted the strategy in an exhibition contest against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday in Shenzen, China. He said the move allows Fultz to play more minutes at point guard with the second unit, rather than vying for ball-handling duties with Ben Simmons.

"Part of my responsibility is to be able to put these guys in environments with different combinations and try to figure that out as quickly as I'm able," Brown told ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

"I believe that Markelle is at his best with the ball, and so when you watch how I substitute and determine patterns, when you bring him off the bench in the second half you're able to get him like four or five more minutes as a point guard. I believe it's something that we'll continue to look at."

Another possible reason for the shuffle would be to preserve the best lineup - by the numbers - in basketball. The 76ers' starting five with JJ Redick in place of Fultz outscored opponents by 21 points per 100 possessions last season, which ranked as the best mark among all five-man units that logged more than 300 minutes. Redick's shooting ability is arguably a better fit with the starters than Fultz's skill set of being able to slash and create with the ball in his hands.