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Orlando Magic: Grading Markelle Fultz’s 2019-20 NBA season

By Luke Duffy

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 24: Markelle Fultz #20 of the Orlando Magic brings the ball up court against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first half of Game Four during the first round of the playoffs at The Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 24, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 24: Markelle Fultz #20 of the Orlando Magic brings the ball up court against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first half of Game Four during the first round of the playoffs at The Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 24, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images) /
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Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

The Orlando Magic entered the 2019-20 season as a franchise establishing relevancy again, and the emergence of Markelle Fultz added to that.

The 2019-20 season was a weird one for the Orlando Magic in that they once again showed they were a playoff level team, which is something that had taken them more than half a decade to get back to. But after the high of the previous year and getting back to the postseason, to do essentially the exact same thing again felt a bit underwhelming.

Which isn’t fair of course. Progress does not happen overnight, especially in the NBA where superstar duos and microwave-ready contenders seem to pop up each offseason. Indeed, this coming downtime promises to be no different. So for the Magic to get back to the playoffs was a plus.

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Still, there is a nagging feeling that grows stronger with the passing of time that this Magic roster as currently constructed can only go so far. Even the most ardent supporter has to realize that. This is why the introduction of Markelle Fultz to the rotation was so important. In what was essentially his first full season in the league, Magic fans hoped he could give the team a jolt.

Fultz did exactly that, going so far as to quickly usurp D.J. Augustin as the starting point guard for the organization. Still only 21, this was a season that established quickly that Fultz can be the answer to a position that has not been properly replaced since Jameer Nelson was in town (with respect to Augustin, who is a firm fan favorite, and rightly so).

This despite the fact that some still seem to think that another player may be the answer to the franchise’s issues at this position. Make no mistake, this was not a trailblazing re-introduction to the league for Fultz. But there was enough in what we did see for Magic fans to be confident that he can help them improve from within. Here is how he got on in 2019-20.

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