The Philadelphia 76ers have won six straight and eight of their last 10 games, climbing into the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, edging the Pacers by a half game right now for that spot.
Young stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid have led the charge for Philly to get to this point, firmly in the playoff race and fighting for homecourt in the first round, but there could be another former top pick entering the mix for the Sixers before the season is over. The No. 1 pick from 2017, Markelle Fultz, was shut down four games into the season and has been rehabbing from a mysterious shoulder injury ever since.
The updates as they relate to Fultz’s status have been vague throughout the process and each video that emerges of his shooting form, as it’s gone through multiple changes, has been cause for scrutiny and at times panic over the deterioration of his jumper. Recent video updates, however, have offered some reason for optimism as Fultz has looked far more comfortable with his shot and just generally on the court.
Fans and media aren’t alone in feeling some optimism about what they’ve seen lately from Fultz. Sixers coach Brett Brown is likewise pleased with his rookie point guard’s progress and even told reporters on Saturday prior to facing the Timberwolves that he thinks Fultz is “quite close” to returning to the lineup, via the Associated Press.
“I think he is quite close,” Brown said of Fultz, who has declined to speak to reporters. “I think if we’d all watch the video we’d all probably agree with that.”
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“It’s just something that when Markelle Fultz feels like he can go – he really feels good about himself and his health, the shoulder, everything and the medical people support that — he knows that he has a coaching staff and a team that will welcome him in when he says go,” Brown said. “He also understands the season is around the corner in terms of the end of the regular season. That’s where it’s at.”
Basically, the decision on whether Fultz returns lies with him and his comfort level with his shoulder and feel for the game. While the Sixers initially seemed to have been handling Fultz’s situation poorly, in recent months they’ve gotten on message, at least in the locker room, as the staff and his teammates have offered nothing but support for the rookie.
Because a fair amount of this comes down to Fultz being mentally ready to return to the court and rely on that shoulder and his shooting form that’s gone through numerous changes, Brown saying he’s “quite close” isn’t terribly meaningful beyond a vote of confidence in the young point guard and what he’s showing on the practice floor recently.
It’d be fascinating to see Fultz come back for the postseason because he could provide Philly with some added backcourt depth, which they could use, even if in sparing minutes. That said it wouldn’t be surprising if Fultz’s return to the court with the Sixers didn’t happen until next season, with a trip to Summer League serving as his reintroduction to competitive basketball. If confidence and comfort is part of the problem, it’d be quite the leap to jump back in for the stress of postseason play.
