While Orlando Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman says he's “very excited about the progress” guard Markelle Fultz has made in his recovery from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, he still won't put a timetable on Fultz's recovery.
Fultz has played in just 33 games in the NBA since being drafted No. 1 overall in the 2017 Draft by the Phiadelphia 76ers. Fultz’s one and a half seasons with the Sixers were a mess. He played in 14 games during his rookie season due to scapular muscle imbalance in his right shoulder and then was diagnosed with Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome last season.
Weltman still believes in Fultz and thinks the youngster has “got everything that it takes to be a great player in this league” for the Magic.
“I’m not going to put a timetable on it, as we haven’t before, but he continues to work hard and make progress, and he’s in a good place working with the coaches and rehab guys,” Weltman told Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel. “Again, we’re not going to put timelines or expectations on how that all unfolds. It will come as it come.
“As I’ve been saying, he continues to be in a good place and get better and improve. I can’t predict exactly how that’s going to look when it unfolds, but we’re very excited about the progress that he’s made. He’s a tremendously talented guy and he’s a hard worker and he’s a team-first guy and he’s got intelligence and he’s got awareness. He’s got everything that it takes to be a great player in this league.”
Markelle Fultz has career averages of 7.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 41.4 percent from the field, 26.7 percent from beyond the arc and 53.4 percent from the free-throw line.
The Magic acquired Fultz from the Sixers at the 2019 February trade deadline. He has yet to play in game for Orlando.
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