Markelle Fultz isn’t having the rookie season he’d hoped for the Philadelphia 76ers. At this point, however, an unconventional first year with the team is sort of a rite of passage.
But Fultz’s rookie weirdness might top Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid’s in that he’s trying to play through an injury that’s resulted in some shooting weirdness. His free throw style had to change completely because of a shoulder injury, a move that caused concern for many, and he almost completely stopped shooting jump shots altogether.
The Sixers finally shut the top overall pick down so his shoulder soreness could rest and heal. On Monday, video emerged of Fultz going through drills at practice and shooting with the opposite hand while he’s working through shoulder problems. The talk swirling around him and those left-handed shots was enough that he clarified on Monday night that he is, indeed, right-handed.
https://twitter.com/markellef/status/927734529883717632
Fultz tweeted a few cry-laughing emojis along with an finger pointing to a right hand on Monday night. The interpretation of this may depend on where you went to college for emoji translation, but it’s likely a good thing for Fultz and the Sixers.
The most likely interpretation is that this is a simple reminder that Fultz is indeed still right-handed, and his shooting left-handed was just part of drills and not some drastic change he’s trying to make — although he wouldn’t be the first to change what hand he shoots with in NBA history.
Fultz is still expected to be shut down for at least another week or so, but Fultz shooting like he did at Washington before everything appears to have gotten all junked up would be the ideal end result of all of this drama. Hopefully he can get back to that form sooner than later and join a Sixers team that’s hitting its stride of late.
