Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz, the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, went through a bizarre rookie season that involved a shoulder injury and the yips when it came to his jumper. He appeared in just 14 regular-season games, playing an average of 18 minutes per contest, and he barely played in the postseason before the Sixers were eliminated in the second round by the Boston Celtics.
Despite the tumultuous rookie season, Sixers teammate Joel Embiid is confident Fultz will turn things around this season.
#Sixers center @JoelEmbiid on @MarkelleF: "I think he's going to show everybody why he was the No. 1 pick."
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) September 21, 2018
Like Ben Simmons, Fultz didn't make a 3-pointer last season and didn't even look to shoot them. The youngster was an excellent shooter at Washington, but strange circumstances changed everything and threw off his entire rookie year.
Fultz has been working hard to regain confidence in his jumper, and he showed off his new stroke earlier this week. The young guard has less than a quarter of an NBA season under his belt, so the jury is still out on what type of player he is and he has plenty of time to turn things around.
After all the hard work he put in this offseason, chances are Fultz proves Embiid right in the 2018-2019 season. If that turns out to be the case, Philly will be even more formidable with its young core of stud players. Perhaps Fultz becomes that third star the team was seeking to add this summer and they challenge the Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Follow Us
Subscribe