There are plenty of reasons for optimism in Philadelphia as the 76ers get ready for next season. Joel Embiid is one of the best players in the East, Ben Simmons won Rookie of the Year last seasons, and with some luck, the team has a chance at winning the conference next season.
A potentially huge boost could come in the form of second-year guard Markelle Fultz, who had just about the weirdest rookie year you can imagine. Fultz went from the No. 1 overall pick, to someone who refused to shoot threes, to a guy who was either hurt or had the yips, to playing down the regular season stretch, to completely unplayable during the postseason. He was viewed as a potential game-changing player for his skill on offense, but for physical (and/or mental) reasons, that skill just evaporated amid a battle with a mysterious shoulder injury.
But 2018-19 is a new start for Fultz, who has worked with basketball trainer Drew Hanlen this offseason to recalibrate his jumper. There have been rumblings of how that’s gone, but the latest update indicates that there’s a whole lot of optimism radiating from Philadelphia about how Fultz is progressing.
Via Marcus Hayes of Philly.com:
Two team sources said that there is no anxiety at the team’s training complex in Camden about Fultz’s jump shot. Sixers coaches and medical staff were exasperated by reports over the past few weeks that minimized, or even dismissed, Fultz’s injury as the root of his shooting problems. Like any injury, symptoms took a while to disappear even after he was medically cleared to resume play in March. Finally, Fultz no longer feels any discomfort in the affected area.
The report also indicates that Fultz has been checked on by Sixers coach Brett Brown and director of player development Conner Johnson, with both men walking away from their visits “satisfied that Fultz will come to training camp in September with a viable jump shot.”
It cannot be stressed enough how important this development would be for Philly as it enters next season. The Sixers flamed out against the Boston Celtics in the conference semifinals for a few reasons, but the most damning one was that the Celtics weren’t afraid of what Philadelphia had on the perimeter. They stayed at home against Philly’s bevy of shooters and dared Simmons to shoot, which isn’t his game.
Getting Fultz back to 100 percent wouldn’t single-handedly beat Boston should they meet in the postseason, of course, but having an offensive creator who can get their own shot would be a gigantic boost for Philadelphia’s offense. But at the very least, after all that Fultz went through during his rookie campaign, it’d just be nice to see him back on the floor and living up to his copious amounts of potential.
(Via Philly.com)
