Keith Williams has watched Markelle Fultz with a keen eye for more than a decade. The private coach shepherded Fultz along from a 7-year-old bundle of energy to a star at DeMatha Catholic to one season at the University of Washington and, in June, to the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Fultz that Williams has seen in the very brief start to his pro career, though, is a far cry from the player Williams helped develop. The jump shot that became an essential part of Fultz’s arsenal — and a major reason the Sixers traded up to draft him — has disappeared, replaced by an odd-looking motion and a hesitancy the player has not previously shown.