While the Orlando Magic are trying to prove to the rest of the NBA that their 2018-19 playoff season wasn't a fluke, guard Markelle Fultz will also try to put his disappointing first two seasons behind, escape the sky-high expectations, and have a quality third season in the NBA.
The Orlando Magic are primed for another playoff appearance in 2019-20, and Fultz finally becoming an asset off the bench for them will be a huge part of that.
If he can manage to find his footing, the Magic may not only make the playoffs, but make some noise once they get there.
3. Fultz will average 10+ points per game off the bench
Video surfaced last week of Fultz shooting jump shots at optional workouts with Michael Carter-Williams and Magic assistant coaches. Orlando Magic fans should be happy to see that his jump shot looks to have improved drastically over the off-season, as the jumper that once looked like a glitch in NBA 2K now looks like one of the formidable jumpers in the league.
Magic fans know from his college days that Fultz has the ability to be a prolific scorer, as in his only yeat at Washington, he averaged 23.2 ppg while shooting 50 percent on all his field goals and just over 41 percent from three.
That ability to be a lethal scorer combined with an improved jumpshot and newfound confidence will help Fultz to make an impact off the bench, as Magic fans shouldn't be surprised to see him average anywhere from 12 to 15 ppg.
2. Fultz will shoot over 35 percent from three
One of the reasons why Fultz was such a prolific scorer in college was because of his efficiency from three, as he often made more than half of his five three-point attempts per game in his college days.
All the work that Fultz has put in this off-season to improving his three-point shot will come to fruition this season.
Playing with skilled passers such as Carter-Williams, D.J. Augustin and Evan Fournier will help create shots for Fultz, and his once-seemingly broken jump shot will be effective this season, leading him to become an above-average shooter from deep.
1. Fultz will win Comeback Player of the Year (and may earn a few Sixth Man of the Year votes)
While the Philadelphia 76ers have a talented roster that looked like they would mesh well with Fultz, the expectations for the former No. 1 pick were way too high, and his Philadelphia tenure was mainly seen as a disappointment by a fan base that didn't have any patience for Fultz to develop.
It's a different situation for Fultz in Orlando, as they proved to have a capable roster without him that made the playoffs last season while he was injured or didn't play for most of that stretch run. This new situation for Fultz has been amazing for him, and it looks like his relationship with the organization is already better than the City that didn't exactly welcome him with brotherly love.
As soon as I got here, I could just tell the different energy they were showing me, and the love they were showing me,” Fultz said to Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel. “And as time went on, the trust showed more. They’ve seen my hard work, and it just grew more and more.
With this better situation and his confidence finally being at a healthy point, it's not crazy to see Fultz emerging as a scoring sixth man who can dominate second units and occasionally play in crunch time for the Magic.
While Orlando is willing to be patient with his development, this season may be the season that things finally click for Fultz.
If that's the case, his narrative alone makes him a shoe-in for Comeback Player of the Year, and he could be prolific enough off the bench to earn a few votes for Sixth Man of the Year as well.
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