NBA 2018-19, Fultz: Series of unfortunate events
Let me take you back in time, to a time when LaVar Ball was probably the biggest news in the basketball world, with his outlandish claims of beating Michael Jordan 1v1 and his talented son being eligible for the draft. But, according to most scouts and GMs the best player in that draft was not LaVar's prodigal son Lonzo, but it was Markelle Fultz, a freshman who had been tearing it up at Washington State with season averages of around 23 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
He was shooting 47 percent from the field and 41 percent from three, which are very impressive numbers in the NCAA. The biggest knock against Fultz in college was that, as impressive as his play was, his team did not win, as the Huskies finished the season with a 9-22 record. Markelle, on the other hand, was named to the First-team All-Pac-12 and Third-team All-American.
Fultz was regarded as a consensus first overall pick, with his athleticism and crafty scoring ability. He was also dominant in pick and roll situations. Therefore, the well rounded skill set and the size made Fultz a very enticing prospect for NBA teams.
Now let's talk about the Sixers side of this equation, they were the team on the rise in the east and with multiple consecutive years of finishing at the bottom of the conference to get better draft picks and prospects, this year was supposed to be the end of the 'process' and Markelle Fultz, especially after the impressive workout with the team, was proving to be that player.
The core of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz could be a formidable force for years to come. The Sixers needed a guard that could play off ball and share some ball-handling responsibilities with Simmons and Fultz appeared to be just that.
The Sixers had the third pick in the draft and had to trade up in order to maximize their chances of landing Fultz. Therefore, they traded their third pick and a future first rounder, for Boston's number one pick in the draft. Things were looking up in the City of Brotherly Love!
Early Impressions
Let's look at how things started for Markelle; during his workout with the Sixers before the draft, the Sixers brass were so blown away with the skill and athleticism of this college freshman that they thought this would be the final piece of their puzzle. which led to the trade with the Celtics.
There was a report from Bleacher Report, after the whole burner phone fiasco that Bryan Colangelo overruled a lot of Sixers Executives to pick Fultz number one. This was a decision that was appreciated at that time, but looking back on it now, it seems like a terrible decision.
During the Summer League, Fultz looked promising in the two games averaging 18 points, but his Summer League tenure was cut short due to an ankle injury.
Training Camp and Start of the Regular Season
A video surfaced of Fultz in late September, where his free throw shooting form was in all sorts of a mess. It was like Fultz had completely forgotten how to shoot in a weird sort of amnesia, his confidence seemed to fall off a cliff and he was passing up open looks like he was Kwame Brown playing alongside Kobe,
This video blew up during the offseason and when questioned about the change in shooting form, Fultz said that he was experiencing some shoulder soreness, which led to a change in shooting form. Coach Brett Brown reassured the media that this was just a small bump in the road and things would get back on track soon enough.
When the regular season started, Fultz looked far from the player he was at Washington, as he just did not look comfortable on the floor. He did not attempt a single three-pointer in during the first four games of the season and only took 27 shots. Something was amiss, no one knew what exactly it was.
Conflicting Reports
Fultz agent, Raymond Brothers after his dismal performances came out and said that Fultz had been playing with a shoulder injury and had fluid drained from the back of this shoulder which led him not being able to raise his arms up to shoot.
This was odd because it being the start of the season and Sixers not being in a hurry to become relevant, as they had been patient with their other two stars (namely, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons). Why were they risking Fultz if he was carrying an injury?
Brothers changed his story further by saying that Fultz had not had any fluid taken out of his shoulder but had some fluid put in. This is when the situation truly began to unfold. Team President, Bryan Colangelo came out and said that Fultz would be out for at least 3 games with 'shoulder soreness'.
Colangelo also implied in his press conference that Fultz changing his shooting form was the reason for shoulder soreness. This lead to a response from Fultz trainer Keith Williams who blatantly refuted Colangelo's claims.
This lead to Fultz being sent to rehab for his shoulder injury, where he was diagnosed with scapular muscle imbalance.
Shut Down and Return
The whole situation mentioned in the previous slide, led to Fultz being shut down for about 5 months. Fultz finally returned and looked positive at the end of the season, where he was attacking the rim and making some good passes. His shooting mechanics still looked shaky, but this was a step in the right direction for the disgruntled player.
There were some positive signs but Fultz did not feature in a lot of Sixers games. Fultz did notch a triple-double in the last game of the season though but was greeted with a barrage of DNP's in the Post Season.
The Sixers were knocked out by Boston Celtics with relative ease, which lead to a lot of questions surrounding if it would have been any different if Fultz was a given a bit of playing time in the Playoffs. Would things have been any different?
Offseason 2018 and the New Season
There was a lot buzz around Markelle in the offseason with claims that he had been working really hard at his jump shot and had put up about 160,000 shots during the offseason, which seems to be an insane number. There were a lot of reports predicting how Fultz could be the third star Philly had thought he would be when they drafted him. His shot looked good and there was optimism in the air with many predicting he would be the breakout star of the year.
Then came the preseason and Fultz was not the revelation Philly fans had thought he would be, but there were positive signs. Every time Fultz would hit a jumper, the whole crowd would go insane, as the player had made a game-tying field goal in the closing stages. This would have led to added pressure on the player who seemed to crumble with the weight.
In an early season game against the Miami Heat, Fultz's freethrow form changed again as there was a little hiccup when he took the shot. This made social media go into a wild frenzy about his new shooting form. After the game, Fultz trainer Drew Hanlen tweeted and then later deleted that Fultz was still dealing with an injury. This was the last straw, as a report came out that said Fultz and Hanlen were not on speaking terms anymore.
Fultz later changed his form again, now shifting the ball from one hand to the other while he goes up for a shot, like he was playing a weird game of hot potato.
Another report came out that said that Fultz was dealing with a shoulder and a wrist injury and he would not practice until he saw a shoulder specialist. The report also said Fultz had requested a change in scenery, which was later denied by his agent.
This situation continues to unfold and we wish Fultz the best for his recovery, so he can go back to being the player he was at Washington.