Markelle Fultz, last June’s No. 1 overall pick, hasn’t played for the Philadelphia 76ers since Oct. 21. And as of now, he doesn’t look like he’ll be making his return anytime.
To make matters worse, footage of his disjointed jump-shooting form has once again been making the rounds on the internet, prompting jokes and concerns of all sizes:
https://twitter.com/AndyGlockner/status/951531155055980544
The Sixers, to their credit, aren’t hiding from this—at least, head coach Brett Brown isn’t. He addressed the issue head-on, vowing to help the 19-year-old regain his form, per the Associated Press (via USA Today):
The 6-foot-4 guard is now healthy enough to practice, but he can’t shoot straight.
“It’s reclaiming the shot that he used to have,” Brown said. “The timeline of when that happens, none of us know. But I feel like there is discomfort in his shoulder and it does affect his shot.”
Brown, who calls himself “a shooting coach at heart,” vows to help Fultz rediscover his shot. He plans to spend extra time with him at practice. The team has shielded Fultz from reporters since he was sidelined.
“He’s a rise-up guy. He’s a live ball, off-the-dribble, rise-up guy. A Kyle Korver type, that wasn’t who he was,” Brown said. “He was a wiggly, do-what-he-wants-to-guard. So you go back and you say, ‘How can you find that again?'”
This situation is truly bizarre, in no small part due to the Sixers’ general lack of transparency. Fultz went from playing through shoulder issues, to missing a few weeks, to currently sitting out for more than half the year, with no timeline for a return as the NBA barrels toward the trade deadline and All-Star break.
Any and all concern from the outside is validated. Fultz cannot be written off as a bust four games into his NBA career—not when he’s battling injuries and boasted a better jumper while at Washington last season. It is, however, fair to wonder whether his rookie campaign will end up being a lost cause, either because he won’t return or because he won’t have enough time or reps to rediscover his jump-shot mechanics.
