Guard Markelle Fultz, who has not played in the 76ers' last three playoff games due to coach Brett Brown's decision, has been "unbelievable" in accepting his diminished role, according to Brown.
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It's certainly an unusual situation, a healthy player who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft not seeing any court time as the 76ers seem poised to make their deepest postseason run in years. But Fultz missed most of the season recovering from a shoulder injury, and while he played very well in 10 games in March and April — including a triple-double in the season finale — Brown is more comfortable playing T.J. McConnell as backup to point guard Ben Simmons.
"Markelle Fultz played 10 end-of-season games for the year, and T.J. played the whole year and had a helluva year and we won [16 in a row], and we were winning, we were playing good basketball," Brown said (via ESPN). "I decided to do it because there is continuation of growth of a whole year [with McConnell]. There is a little bit of a physicality element that we felt with Miami the games [that contributed to the decision]. T.J. grabbed a spot and walked it down, we won a series.
"But it's not anything that I'm not open to always reviewing. I'll do whatever it takes to help [Fultz] help us. Us being the key word."
Brown has to do what's best for the 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Celtics, and he thinks playing the more experienced McConnell is in the team's best interest. But he notes he is also mindful of Fultz's feelings.
"The care for Markelle Fultz and his future is always on my mind," Brown said.
Yet the coach says Fultz has handled his time on the bench extremely well.
"I think he's been unbelievable, coachable and [has had an] unbelievable spirit," Brown said. "These questions [from media members] that we're going through, my discussion with him is very brief and it's a fist bump and he moves on."
Boston won the series opener, 117-101. Game 2 is Thursday in Boston at 8:30 p.m.