The Markelle Fultz situation in Philadelphia has only grown more confounding as the NBA season rages on and there continues to be no set time table for his return. Ostensibly, the root of the problem is a lingering shoulder injury that has dramatically affected his shooting form.
The No. 1 overall pick has reportedly been trying all sorts of strategies and drills to essentially “relearn” how to shoot a basketball, which isn’t a sentence that inspires confidence at all, and even Sixers president and GM Bryan Colangelo admitted last week that Fultz still doesn’t have much ability to shoot anywhere outside the paint.
Naturally, there’s been plenty of debate as to how much of it is physical versus mental. Regardless, the organization remains adamant that he won’t return to action until he can fix his form, so the training staff has recently gotten creative in their attempts to add a more fluid, natural rhythm to his jumper.
Via Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice:
The Sixers, according to multiple people who spoke with PhillyVoice for this story, believe they are one of a small group of NBA teams with a setup that allows them to train players in virtual reality.
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With Fultz, there is a different motivation to get him behind the VR goggles. The Sixers, according to multiple sources, wanted him to be able to visualize the mechanics he’ll use in a game, to remember how easy it once was for him to rise up with the ball and shoot from anywhere on the court, and to be able to do so without the glare of the cameras or other people around him. With pressure coming down on him from all angles, turning part of a teenager’s job into a video game is one way to relieve the stress of the situation.
The Sixers have been one of the most forward-thinking franchises of the past few years, thanks in no small part to former GM Sam Hinkie’s philosophical predilection to all things Silicon Valley, so it’s no surprise the organization would try and leverage all the technology available to help rehab one of their most valuable assets.
Meanwhile, the Sixers continue to make their way without him. They currently have a tenuous grasp on the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, but their other two young stars – Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons – have both had tremendous seasons and are eyeing a second-half push that they hope ends in a much-anticipated postseason return.
Whether Fultz makes it back to the court by then remains to be seen.
