Two years removed from being selected with the No. 1 overall pick of the NBA draft, Markelle Fultz remains basketball's biggest mystery. The Orlando Magic elected against playing him in Summer League, and have stayed mostly mum on his progress recovering from the shoulder injury that caused him to miss most of his first two seasons in the league. As such, no one knows what to expect from Fultz as the 2019-20 season quickly approaches.
One thing is for sure, though: Fultz is definitely working on his game. In an interview with HoopsHype's Alex Kennedy, Magic forward Johnathan Isaac lauded his teammate's desire to improve his game and get back on the floor.
“I’ve seen Markelle’s work ethic and his seriousness about getting on the floor,” he said of Fultz. “I think that’s what going to pay off for him and that’s what’s going to make him the player that he is. He’s a great player. He had some unfortunate situations, but his mindset is to work through them.”
Fultz was acquired by Orlando from the Philadelphia 76ers at the trade deadline in exchange for Johnathan Simmons and a pair of low-value draft picks. He played just 33 games over his two seasons with the Sixers, beginning each on the active roster before being sidelined with a mysterious shoulder injury. Fultz, after so much speculation regarding the genesis of his sudden shooting woes, was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome early in 2018-19, but many remain convinced his struggles are mental.
The Magic are coming off a solid season under first-year head coach Steve Clifford, making the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
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