Considering how Markelle Fultz’s rookie season has unfolded, describing it as “bizarre” would be an understatement. As the first overall pick in the 2017 draft, he looked to have a promising start to his National Basketball Association career. Unfortunately, shoulder issues and changes in his shooting mechanics (and which led to which depends on the source of information) compelled him to stay in the sidelines after just three games. Since then, speculation had been rampant on what exactly ailed him, and how these concerns would affect his confidence moving forward.
Yesterday, Fultz managed to answer a fair number of questions when he trekked to the Wells Fargo Center in uniform. True, he didn’t put up sterling numbers; in 14 minutes of play, he posted 10 points (on five-of-13 shooting from the field, four rebounds, and eight assists. Then again, they were, if nothing else, indicative of his progress. He certainly looked sharp, displaying nothing of the tentativeness that marked his pre- and early-season outings. And, more tellingly, his jumper (which appeared to be broken in workout videos that surfaced as late as in January) mimicked what he had in college, and what had the Sixers trading up just to acquire him last June.
Needless to say, Fultz’s tireless work ethic helped no end. For all his problems, he never stopped pushing himself to get ready for his return to action. And, to their credit, Sixers officials, teammates, and fans never wavered in their support. It’s why president of hoops operations Bryan Colangelo peached understanding throughout yesterday’s pregame presser, why the 20,585-strong crowd gave him a standing ovation, and why the bench cheered in his every move even during garbage time.
For the foreseeable future, Fultz will be spelling preemptive Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons at the point. He will be playing limited minutes, to be sure, but his importance to the Sixers’ success cannot be overemphasized. He’s undergoing a process, but he’s also a major part of The Process. And if they’re keen on living up to their promise, they need him to do so as well. Meanwhile, all and sundry can rest easy knowing the first step back has been made. As head coach Brett Brown said, “knowing what I know and seeing what I’ve seen, and understanding how special that kid is from a human being standpoint, it’s a good day.”
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
