It didn't have to come to this. The Fultz saga didn't have to disintegrate into this distasteful stew of misinformation, deceit, and humiliation.
It did, though, because the Sixers felt they had to save face. Having failed in their attempt to lure a star to Philadelphia to join The Process, Brett Brown put Fultz in the starting lineup. He cast Fultz as a shooting guard, except he can't shoot, or won't shoot, or forgot how to shoot. Fultz started in front of J.J. Redick, one of the best shooters of a generation. He was a punchline for more than a month.