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Philadelphia 76ers number one pick Markelle Fultz recently completed one of the stranger rookie seasons in memory.
After a very solid freshman year at the University of Washington, Fultz looked like he was ready to contribute immediately to any team that drafts him. He was renowned for his smooth handles, floor vision, scoring ability, and even his long-range shooting, as he averaged a very solid 41.3 percent from distance in college.
After the Sixers selected him at the very top of the draft, Fultz suffered a shoulder injury and was transformed from a solid shooter to a terrible one. Clips emerged online of the once-smooth jumper that turned broken and jerky.
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When Fultz came back for the playoff run, he was extremely hesitant to pull the trigger from behind the arc, and defenders sagged way off him.
Now Fultz has been in full repair mode, and it seems as if the Sixers organization is impressed with his progress. The Sixers have brought in multiple specialists to deal with Fultz's form, and the results are being well received by the coaching staff, per Marcus Hayes of Philly.com,
“Two team sources said that there is no anxiety at the team’s training complex in Camden about Fultz’s jump shot. Sixers coaches and medical staff were exasperated by reports over the past few weeks that minimized or even dismissed, Fultz’s injury as the root of his shooting problems. Like any injury, symptoms took a while to disappear even after he was medically cleared to resume play in March. Finally, Fultz no longer feels any discomfort in the affected area.”
The organization comes off as confident that Fultz's shooting woes are caused by physical, not mental problems. If Fultz could come into preseason games fully healthy and with an effective jumper, the already-deadly Sixers would have an important new weapon to deploy.
