Philadelphia 76ers point guard Markelle Fultz seems to have made some vast improvements on his jump shot mechanics, looking a lot smoother than he did with a hitch-like motion last year before hitting the shelf for most of the Sixers’ season.
The former No. 1 overall pick missed 68 games with a shoulder injury, one that he seems to have fully rehabilitated during this offseason while honing his jumper back to NBA standards.
Fultz talked with fellow Seattle-area native Isaiah Thomas about his recovery process during a Facebook Watch video for The Players’ Tribune while showcasing a much-smoother shot motion, which he’s bound to display in the upcoming season.
“I knew that I got drafted No. 1 pick for a reason,” said Fultz. “There was a lot of things about changing shots and all this and there, but for me, I’m a hooper so I’m like: ‘Man, this isn’t gonna stop me.'”
“People really didn’t understand, they thought ‘man, he’s just being soft,’ but it was really an injury. And now I got a chance to just sit down and pick apart all these doctors. We figured it out, and I’ve been back to work this summer.”
.@MarkelleF on the jump shot everyone is talking about.
Full video: https://t.co/ernhVIOxR1 pic.twitter.com/yfOubR4LLP
— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) September 20, 2018
Fultz’ shot-motion has dialed down from what it was coming out of his lone year at the University of Washington — less explosive, but more efficient — using his legs to dial up the distance of his shot, instead of largely depending on his upper-body strength to carry the shot.
While Sixers fans weren’t able to see Fultz tee up that many 3-pointers; a skill he was known for in college, the 6-foot-4 point guard was seen burying deep shots from different spots in the video, an encouraging sign for those awaiting his return.
“I want it to be special when I come back,” said Fultz. “I want to have people guessing, so this is going to be good.”
