The mystery of Markelle Fultz continues as his agent gave two different updates on the status of his shoulder, but one thing is for certain: He’s hurt.
The Philadelphia 76ers seem to have hit another snag with yet another of their potential stars in the 2017-18 season. Guard Markelle Fultz is currently suffering from a shoulder injury.
After being selected by the Sixers with the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Fultz looked good his in debut in NBA Summer League. He hit his first bump in the road when he hurt his ankle in Las Vegas on July 8. The early prognosis showed it was only a sprained ankle, but Fultz was held out for precautionary reasons.
Fast forward to Oct. 24 and you’re almost left scratching your head after Fultz finally admitted that he’s dealing with a shoulder injury. His agent, Raymond Brothers, originally stated Fultz had fluid drained from his shoulder and was currently unable to lift his arm up fully. He later clarified his comments by stating Fultz received a cortisone shot on Oct. 5.
Despite the confusion, the fact remains that rookie Markelle Fultz isn’t at 100 percent, making you wonder what the Philadelphia 76ers are trying to accomplish here.
Fultz is currently shooting 33.3 percent from the field and has yet to attempt a 3-point shot this season. He’s looked uncomfortable on offense and as fans finally have gotten to the “why” of the matter, maybe it’s time to sit Fultz until he’s healthy. It was first brought up after his free throw shooting motion came under scrutiny.
Depth warrants sitting Fultz
After all, the Sixers have J.J. Redick in the starting rotation. He’s averaging 11.0 points per game on 40.0 percent shooting from 3-point range so far. Beside Redick in the rotation is Jerryd Bayless, who’s averaging 13.3 points per game and shooting 52.4 percent from the 3-point arc.
Philadelphia has the depth this season that can allow for Fultz to sit until he’s healthy. Joel Embiid is already on a minutes restriction himself since returning from a foot injury. He’s averaging 27.7 minutes per game, putting up 19.7 points and 12.0 rebounds through three contests. While his minutes are up, he’s still sitting out of back-to-back games. So far, he’s missed the Sixers’ game against the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 21.
There’s no rush with putting Markelle Fultz on the floor, making the whole situation more complicated than it needs to be. If he’s hurt, he should sit until he’s at 100 percent. There’s nothing to gain from him being on the floor at this juncture.
Ben Simmons has looked solid at the point-forward position. He got the first triple-double of his career on Oct. 23 against the Detroit Pistons. He sat out the 2015-16 season due to a broken foot.
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The NBA schedule is a long grind and worsening the injury now does nothing but dampen Fultz’s future. His status for Wednesday night’s game against the Houston Rockets will be something to watch as he’s currently listed on the injury report.