Orlando Magic: What the Markelle Fultz footage means

The Orlando Magic surprised us on Wednesday with some Markelle Fultz footage, sending the fan base into a frenzy.

With training camps edging closer for all NBA teams, the one big question surrounding the Orlando Magic was whether or not Markelle Fultz would be present and out on the court with his teammates.

Not only was this a fair question to ask; there were those who believed he still hadn’t been cleared to return to full basketball activities, despite some grainy offseason footage showing Fultz with a basketball in his hand. Planning to start the season without Fultz seemed the smart and right thing to do.

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But both the player and organization had other things in mind, as Wednesday they released some footage of Fultz actually shooting. Coupled with the videos taken by media members in attendance as well, and it amount to a ton of footage for fans to pour over and get excited about. But what does it all mean for Fultz the player and for the Magic themselves come opening night?

First of all, the fact Fultz was at an unofficial practice (alongside guys like Khem Birch and Jonathan Isaac) before training camp has even started properly was a great sign. He didn’t have to be there, and if he had been absent then nobody would have questioned why.

Instead he acted like one of the team in messing around and putting up shots, which is exactly what he should be doing if present but to be greeted with this news so suddenly and unexpectedly was cause for real optimism. Then came the content actually produced by the Magic themselves. The videos of Fultz putting up shots and handling the ball.

This is the most important development in the Fultz story, because of how guarded the franchise have been about him since trading for him at the deadline last year.

All the front office or  coach Steve Clifford had ever spoken about was giving Fultz as much time as necessary, not rushing him back onto the court and generally just leaving him alone in the background to work through his peculiar injury.

So to actively then go the other way and promote the guy, means that they must have enough confidence in what they’ve seen behind closed doors to let the public see for themselves.

Fultz too must be feeling good, because there is no way he would have let footage like this go public if he was still suffering from “the yips” as many had speculated that he was during his time away from the court.

Fultz was aware what putting this video out would mean, but both he and the team saw fit to do so. But when will we actually see Fultz suit up for an NBA game? Team officials said that there are no restrictions on him in place for when training camp opens, which in itself is great news.

The way he was promoted and pushed though, could there be any way that he starts on opening night?

That may be a step too far, but even if he were to be listed as active and available to backup the ever steady D.J. Augustin, that would represent huge progress. The kind of progress that it was unclear if we’d ever see, and which would make the Philadelphia 76ers fans give up on him and deride him sweat for the first time since the trade.

It would also be nice for Fultz to receive a pop from the crowd the first time he checks into the game. In fact engineering that situation so that he receives that love from the fans in attendance would probably be the best thing to do.

Returning to Wednesday, and Fultz said all the right things in front of the media as well. This is another aspect to the story, and possibly part of the reason why he saw fit for the Magic to give him a push on social media. He seems genuinely grateful for the opportunity to be in Orlando but also for how he’s been put under no pressure to return to the court.

As for how the shooting of Fultz actually looked? Smooth. No more hitch in that jumper, with the combination of Magic video footage and content captured by people in attendance showing him taking free-throws, mid-range efforts and, most crucially of all, 3-pointers.

The only potential red flag is an angle from under the basket which appeared to show the particular free-throw that it captured looking a little staggered as it went up (and in). Saying he had the swagger of a former number one overall pick is strong, but he looked, happy. Like he knew he belonged out there.

Looking towards the future then, and it is hard not to be really happy about where the Magic are right now. They brought back their core over the summer to continue on this path, and Jonathan Isaac looks ready to take the next step in year three. Aaron Gordon might be an All-Star next season. Nikola Vucevic already was.

The Magic were always going to be good, but the re-introduction of Fultz moves the needle.

They now have another young player to add to the mix, and one who before enduring arguably the strangest start to an NBA career in history, was sought after enough for the 76ers to trade up to acquire, in the process missing out on both Lonzo Ball and Jayson Tatum.