Markelle Fultz's rookie season with the Philadelphia 76ers did not go according to plan. The 20-year-old only appeared in 14 games due to a problem with his shoulder, but more importantly, a problem with his shot. The Sixers guard seemed to lose the ability to shoot from anywhere outside the paint. Something was clearly off.
In fact, one Reddit user who goes by the username B-U-Y-F-E-B-R-E-Z-E points out that Fultz was blocked the most per 36 minutes of any player in the NBA last season (minimum 100 minutes played), per NBA.com. Fultz was blocked 2.6 times per 36 minutes which is fairly high, especially for such a highly-touted prospect.
A lot of this can be attributed to Fultz's struggles with his jumper. He was so hesitant to pull the trigger from the outside that many of his shots came in closer to the basket around traffic. Without the ability to stretch the defense, it was more difficult for Fultz to beat his man off the dribble.
He shot 41.3 percent from deep in college before completely losing his touch in the NBA. Perhaps an offseason to work out the kinks is exactly what Fultz needed.
The Sixers are hoping the former first overall pick can find his mojo again. Philadelphia significantly outperformed expectations last season despite Fultz basically using a redshirt year.
Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons led the charge for Philly last season so there isn't much pressure on Fultz coming into this year. Once again, Embiid and Simmons will shoulder the load. Whatever Fultz can give them is a plus.
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