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Elton Brand on Markelle Fultz: ‘I’ve never seen him shoot a free throw like that.’

The new Sixers GM praised Fultz for coming back from the ugly free throw attempt and making a jump shot in the game, and noted that he's seen the point guard struggle with his shooting in practice in a similar manner.

Sixers guard Markelle Fultz.
Sixers guard Markelle Fultz.Read moreMATT SLOCUM / AP

The free throw was still on everyone's mind.

Markelle Fultz's jarringly awful free-throw attempt from the Sixers' win Monday night in Miami was a dark cloud waiting to strike.

Jimmy Butler was in town Tuesday and it was his day. The stage set up in the practice facility in Camden was for Butler. Then, after a 25-minute press conference, Butler's time was up.

The Sixers' new star was whisked away for photo ops before getting on a flight for Orlando to join the rest of the team, and general manager Elton Brand held court with the Sixers beat reporters. The main topic: Fultz.

"I've never seen him shoot a free throw like that," Brand said Tuesday.

Truth is that not many people have ever seen any player shoot a free throw like that.

Brand noted that he has seen Fultz struggle at times in the gym, but he believes the 20-year-old is resilient and continues to work and get better. When asked if he was concerned after seeing the now-infamous free throw, Brand said he would have been more concerned if Fultz hadn't recovered and shot the ball fluidly through the rest of the game.

The concern that Brand did not mention was the one that everyone else has. If, after an entire season and offseason spent reconstructing and practicing his jumper and shooting form, Fultz still has days when he shoots like there is a glitch in the matrix, how can you expect that he'll ever fully recover?

"He's going to have some ups and downs," Brand said. "He's going to have more ups than downs."

His next down could be right around the corner.

The Sixers traded away two starters for Butler, an indication that they want to win right now. So experimenting with Fultz in a starting lineup next to Ben Simmons, while Fultz is still navigating choppy waters and even choppier shots, is going to have to get tabled sooner or later.

Fultz moving into bench role is inevitable at this point. Though Brand said he has discussed the new starting lineup with Brett Brown now that the team has Butler, Brand would not divulge what that conversation entailed.

"So I spoke to coach about that and he's getting with his staff," Brand said. "He's going to go over that before the game [Wednesday in Orlando] and, of course, tonight."

After the free throw seen 'round the world, Fultz's role developmentally is now in question more than ever. Amid reports that he has ditched shooting coach Drew Hanlen, and with his shooting form looking worse than it did before he was shut down for 68 games last season, Brand was asked if this was still the best place for Fultz to continue his development.

Brand paused for a long time before answering.

Maybe he didn't know if the answer was yes or no. Maybe he was searching his mind for a reason that the best place for Fultz to be is with the Sixers. Maybe he was just choosing his words wisely and diplomatically.

No matter, after the long pause, Brand gave the only answer that a person in his position could have given.

"I still think it's the best place for him to develop because we love him and we care," he said. "He's with us. He's a part of us. If he goes somewhere else, I don't know what that looks like. But for him to develop, it may be the best place for him still."

It may be.

It may not be.