NBA: 30 reasons to be excited for 2019-20 season

30. Markelle Fultz?

In a league that produces never before seen drama on a seemingly weekly basis, nothing has befuddled fans and analysts more than the first two seasons of Markelle Fultz‘s career.

A former No. 1 pick by the Philadelphia 76ers, his jumper and confidence inexplicably went missing before he even made his debut. Fultz played in just 33 games to start his career in Philadelphia. After they could no longer wait for his potential return, the Sixers shipped him off to the Orlando Magic last February.

The Magic aren’t on the same path as Philly, but that seems to be the best thing for the 21-year-old. He doesn’t need any external pressures to take away from the ultimate goal of rediscovering himself on the basketball court, and the low-stress environment of Orlando is the perfect place to do it.

Given his plummet in value, expectations for Fultz are extremely limited at this point. Preseason has been encouraging, but that’s only the first step in what is still a long journey ahead.

There’s a heightened level of sympathy for Fultz more than anything else, where a simple consistent presence on the court would draw incredible amounts of joy for a player who left little concern about his prospects coming out of Washington.