From Glory to Chaos: Markelle Fultz’s Struggle, and His Journey Back
The stories behind Markelle Fultz’s struggle in the NBA — and why the Magic are so optimistic about his comeback story
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It is opening night for the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite coming off a 28–54 season the year prior, there is new hope in Philadelphia. Their former #1 selection in 2016, Ben Simmons, is set to debut with his co-star, Joel Embiid. But there is still one point of contention, one cause of concern for Philadelphia: Markelle Fultz.
Coming out of college, Fultz was far and away the most appealing prospect in the draft, combining shooting ability, advanced ball-handling, athleticism, and defensive ability to become the most touted guard coming out of college since Kyrie Irving. He averaged 23.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.9 assists while shooting over 41% from three-point range in college.
The Sixers were very high on Fultz, believing he could complete their team by forming a trio with Embiid and Simmons. Fultz’s strengths were supposed to complement Embiid and Simmons as well, with his shot creation and shooting ability being sorely needed in Philadelphia.
In the NBA Summer League, Fultz also played well, averaging 18.5 points per game while showcasing his smooth jump-shot and quick handle. His performance drew praise from some NBA stars, including Kevin Durant who had just won Finals MVP in June.
But after sustaining an ankle injury and being ruled out for the rest of the Summer League, Fultz was never the same. When Fultz returned in the pre-season, he was a shell of himself, passing up open looks and missing free-throws horribly.
On opening night, Fultz showed some signs as an athletic playmaker, but once again, his jump-shot was being scrutinized repeatedly. “That’s a bad looking free throw,” commented Jeff Van Gundy, who added that it “didn’t look fluid at all.”
After just four games, Fultz was shut down for an indefinite amount of time, which lead to perhaps the most widespread discussion of an athlete’s psychology in recent memory, with many claiming Fultz had the “yips,” which is the sudden loss of an athlete’s ability to perform routine motor skills.
Fultz returned in a game against the Nuggets, recording 10 points and 8 assists. He would continue to show signs as a playmaker, even becoming the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double.
Unfortunately, looking back, this was the peak of his time with the Sixers, but heading into the summer of 2018, there was growing optimism in Philadelphia.
After a surprising, breakout 2017–2018 campaign in which the Sixers won 52 games, the Sixers were now seen as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, set to contend with Toronto and Boston. With the core of Simmons, who won Rookie of the Year in 2018, and Embiid, who was a first-time All-Star, along with multiple quality role players, the Sixers had a solidified core. There was still one unknown, one potential x-factor, and that was Markelle Fultz.
Over the summer, there was growing optimism that Fultz’s jump-shot would improve drastically, and Fultz would see a return to his past shot-making ability. He trained with celebrity NBA trainer Drew Hanlen, who vowed to “fix” Fultz’s jumper.
And believe it or not, there was clear progress made in Fultz’s jump-shot.
In the preseason, against his now current team, the Orlando Magic, Fultz knocked down 5 jump-shots en route to 12 points. After starting the game with a modest pull-up jump-shot, the unthinkable happened. Off a pass from Simmons, Fultz calmly caught the ball, dribbled, and buried his first three-pointer in over a year. With so much discussion and dissection of Fultz’s psyche and physical health over the past year, it was encouraging to see him enjoy success.
Fultz’s performance was mediocre through the first 9 games of the season, averaging about 10 points. He did show some encouraging signs of the shot-creation abilities that made him so appealing as a prospect, but there was an issue with his jump-shot that was inexplicable. Whenever Fultz hit any kind of jump-shot, it was almost exclusively off the dribble, with his momentum going forward.
The issue that remained with Fultz’s jump-shot was that he couldn’t play off the ball, especially because of his inability to shoot off a pass. With Simmons playing the point guard position, Fultz no longer fit in well with Embiid and Simmons, and he wasn’t able to function as the team’s isolation-based shot creator.
And after his iffy start to the 2019 season, Fultz’s performance steeply declined, and his jump-shot was haywire, yet again. He went viral multiple times in November, first for horribly missing an open three-pointer against the Nets, and then again in a game against Miami on November 12, when Fultz double-pumped a free throw, in a shot that resembled a pump fake.
On that same day, November 12, it was reported that Hanlen and Fultz were no longer and speaking terms, and their professional relationship was finished. What happened between the two of them remains a mystery, and from a certain perspective, this is as mysterious as Fultz’s injury itself. Fultz was making progress under Hanlen, so why did the two of them suddenly have a falling out? Also, why did Fultz’s jump-shot change so dramatically in his first ten games?
With Fultz struggling, and the Sixers not performing well compared to their rivals in Toronto, Boston, and Milwaukee, who was taking the league by storm, Philadelphia needed to make some changes.
It was time for the Sixers to go all-in on contending for a title. With Simmons, who would become an All-Star, and Embiid, who was a low-tier MVP candidate, the Sixers were looking for a third piece to solidify their roster.
At the same time, trouble was brewing in Minnesota, with their star player, Jimmy Butler, wanting out of the team after just one season. This made for a perfect storm for both teams: the Sixers needed a new star; the Timberwolves needed to move Butler. The Sixers pulled the trade, sending starters Robert Covington and Dario Saric along with a draft pick to Minnesota in exchange for the mercurial Butler.
How did this affect Fultz? Well, on the surface, it removed him from the starting lineup, a move that Brown made earlier in the season as a showing of faith in his embattled guard. But, on a deeper level, it sealed the end of Fultz’s tenure in Philadelphia.
Remember the roles Fultz supposedly would play coming out of college, including being a late-game shot creator, off the ball threat, cutter, pick and roll ball handler? Now, those roles would all be handed to Butler, who was an established All-Star. With a poorly defined role, Fultz began to play on the fringes of Brett Brown’s rotation.
Sparked by the Sixers’ trade for Butler, all signs began to point towards Fultz’s exit in Philadelphia.
After playing just over 7 minutes in a game against Phoenix, which was by far Fultz’s season-low mark, it was announced that Fultz would be out indefinitely and refused to practice or play games until his shoulder was re-evaluated by an outside specialist.
Whether this was a move out of spite towards Brett Brown and the Sixers, who had effectively replaced Fultz’s role in the lineup with the un-drafted T.J. McConnell, or this was a result of Fultz feeling unable to play because of his shoulder remains unknown.
About two weeks after taking a leave of absence, Fultz was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, which affects the nerves between the neck and shoulder. Finally, Fultz’s mysterious NBA experience had some explanation, though it is unclear why it took over a year to diagnose his injury.
But the circus around Fultz’s status was wearing on the Sixers, who began to consider trading him. It is important to remember that the Sixers had a new GM, Elton Brand, who did not draft Fultz and lacked personal connections to him, when considering the willingness of the Sixers to move on from Fultz.
In February, around the trade deadline, the Sixers pulled the trigger on a trade that sent Fultz to Orlando in exchange for Jonathon Simmons and two draft picks.
In Orlando, Fultz would rarely be seen in the public eye, rehabbing and training in private while the Magic struggled towards an early playoff exit as the 7th seed.
Fultz stands in the corner, waiting to receive a pass. In one motion, he catches the pass and lifts into his shot, swishing the three-point shot. Before the ball even entered the hoop, Fultz was spinning on the ground in celebration, knowing he had made the shot.
This is a far cry from his days in Philadelphia, where footage of him struggling in practice would make rounds on the internet, and the Sixers progressively began to shield him from the media until he was never available.
There is a new energy surrounding Fultz these days; he is no longer guarded by his team like a state secret, and he seems to be more joyful in Orlando than in Philadelphia.
The Magic are hopeful too. If Fultz recovers well in his time with the team, then the Magic just found their starting point guard of the future without giving up any valuable assets. Fultz has showcased his athleticism and playmaking during the pre-season, further giving the Magic reason to be optimistic.
In Orlando, Fultz no longer has to be an amazing shooter or live up to the hype of being a #1 pick. Here, he has time to grow as a player and slowly return to his past form, an environment that was lacking in the championship-contending Sixers. Even if Fultz never becomes a great shooter, he won’t need to. With young wing Johnathan Isaac and center Mohammed Bamba also developing with Fultz, the Magic now have a core trio to possibly build upon in the future.
And if Fultz becomes a great shooter again, which is a huge “if,” then the Magic just pulled off one a remarkable trade, acquiring a strong point guard for little to no assets. After all, the rest of Fultz’s game is complete — he is a capable defender and rebounder, and an above-average passer and finisher — so all he needs is a jump shot.
What happened to Markelle Fultz will likely remain a secret, with the full truth probably only being known by Fultz, his inner circle, and his agent, Raymond Brothers, who no longer represents Fultz.
Whether it was the yips, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, or a motorcycle accident, which is a popular theory online, the career of Markelle Fultz still isn’t over. He still has a chance to become a good or even great player, depending on his recovery.
And if Fultz ever does return to the form that made him a #1 pick, the Magic may have pulled off a trade so lopsided that it could be described as magical.
All NBA stats via Basketball Reference, and all NCAA stats via Sports Reference
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