The biggest question all summer for the Philadelphia 76ers has been how Markelle Fultz would look after a summer of rehabilitating his jump shot.
Fultz’s shoulder injury from last fall lingered all season in something of a mysterious haze, as he altered his jump shot and struggled with consistency and a hitch in his release. Highlights of his workouts this summer showed an improvement in that much-talked about shooting stroke, but the question remained as to whether it would hold up in game action.
On Monday, Fultz and the Sixers made their preseason debut and he put his jumper on full display in Philly, hitting three jumpers in the first half including a three-pointer that had Twitter abuzz.
That jumper's looking sweet, @MarkelleF 👀 pic.twitter.com/2fOqo1R6ym
— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 2, 2018
Considering Fultz basically refused to shoot anything outside 10 feet last year, it was refreshing to see him not only shooting, but seemingly doing so with no hesitation as to whether he should let it fly. He wasn’t perfect and as of the mid-third quarter he was only 1-of-4 from three point range, but him showing the confidence to take those shots when open is encouraging.
It’s not a guarantee that Fultz will light it up this season from the perimeter, but it’s a good start and can allow for optimism in Philadelphia that, while they didn’t make any major additions this summer, Fultz can develop into the player they thought they were getting with the top pick last year. If that’s the case, it will give them a strong backcourt rotation, particularly if he’s capable of knocking down shots when the defense collapses on Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid (as shown on his three-point make).
