The Philadelphia 76ers number one overall pick in the 2017 draft has played in just four games thus far in his rookie season. Fultz apparently suffered a shoulder injury that affected his shooting, which was displayed during his one-and-done season in Washington. The injury has left many NBA fans and media outlets wondering if it’s a mental or physical issue since the rookie has been cleared to return to basketball activities for more than a month now.
Since then, there have been many videos showing Fultz struggling to return to his once-promising shooting form. However, the 76ers have shown that trusting the process has paid off in a significant way with the success of all-star center Joel Embiid and the most likely rookie of the year Ben Simmons. Philly has won seven straight games which have the team sitting comfortably in seventh-place in the Eastern conference.
During their current win streak, the Sixers have shown constant growth and that they should not be taken lightly by any of the other seven seeds in the current playoff race. Recently, a video surfaced showing Markelle Fultz’s shooting returning to its original form. With 25 games remaining in the regular season, the return of a healthy Fultz will make Philly a serious contender in the east.
Ben Simmons: “I hate guarding [Markelle Fultz]” in practice because “he’s so good getting to the rim,” via @YahooSportsNBA https://t.co/8WejBAWVYj pic.twitter.com/NW5W4aeRPx
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 20, 2018
More Markelle Fultz shooting fadeaways outside of the paint #Sixers pic.twitter.com/t9AauP5W9w
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) February 24, 2018
According to SB Nation , despite the talent of Embiid and Simmons , the team is still missing another go-to-guy that can ease the load of their two young stars. When the team drafted Fultz, it was clear that he would be the star they needed to take over games with his ability to easily get to the basket and his outstanding ability to shoot from anywhere on the court.
J.J. Reddick, Robert Covington, and the newest Sixer, Marco Belinelli, have been nothing short of great when shooting the ball from the three-point line this season. However, according to Slam , with Fultz’s unique ability to get to the rim with ease , it would be wise to leave all three of the Sixers’ great shooters open on the wing for more three-point opportunities.
With the return of Markelle, the Sixers will immediately be a force to be reckoned with on many levels. More importantly, he was the No. 1 pick in one of the most talented drafts the NBA has seen in years for a reason. He was clearly the best choice for the top pick, and he will instantly make the team a serious threat to win this year’s NBA title.
Sixers fans are in great hands with Markelle as the go-to-guy on a team that has shown they are ready to compete with the NBA’s best on any given night. If NBA fans have not trusted the process yet, they soon will understand why they should when Fultz makes his highly anticipated return.
WATCH: Markelle Fultz’s shooting seems to have improved. #Sixers https://t.co/oHn9T6r33h
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) February 25, 2018