Markelle Fultz is on the right track
After a season honing his craft in Orlando, the third-year guard has finally hit his stride. With solid NBA experience under his belt, Fultz is ready for big things.
Markelle Fultz was in a good situation this season. Traded from the Sixers for Jonathan Simmons and a heavily protected first-round pick at the end of the 2018/19 season, Fultz had a full offseason to settle into life in Orlando.
He swapped the passionate criticism and ceaseless spotlight of Philadelphia for the almost hermetical lifestyle of a Magic basketball player.
Vivisected by local and national media galore during his time in Philly, Fultz was in a position to get back to basics in a way he never could during his first two professional seasons. Orlando is one of the smallest media markets in the NBA, and with the Magic routinely dwelling in the lower half of the Eastern Conference this decade, it seemed like Fultz would have a quiet place to hone his craft and rebuild his confidence.
And that’s what happened!
One season later and he’s a fully functioning NBA point guard. At one point, it seemed dubious that that statement would ever be true. When we checked in on Fultz’s progress back in October, we wondered whether he could supplant Michael Carter-Williams and D.J. Augustin on the depth chart. That ended up taking him all of six games. He used this season to secure a consistent role (28.3 minutes per game in 64 appearances), so I want to focus on what he looks like on the court and where his game might take him and the Magic in the next few years.
Let’s address the cortisone-injected (or maybe not?) elephant in the room. Fultz still can’t shoot; 25.4 percent three-point shooting is not good, and ranks him in the eighth percentile amongst guards, according to Cleaning The Glass.
But, even with such an unsightly shooting number, there’s reason for optimism here.
The fact that Fultz is actually taking threes is a huge win, both for his confidence and his development as a legitimate offensive threat. Fultz jacked almost two threes per game for the Magic, and his willingness to take them bodes well. There are two more numbers which reinforce the optimism surrounding Fultz’s ability to become a decent shooter.
Firstly, his 72.3 percent free throw shooting is extremely promising. It’s a higher percentage than Lebron James shot from the stripe this season and just a few ticks lower than the league average. His form has been tidied up and he looks comfortable shooting free throws, a far cry from where he was eighteen months ago.
The second number that engenders hope concerns his once-vaunted hesi pull-up jimbo. Of the 151 NBA players attempting at least two pull-up jumpers per game, Fultz ranks 33rd with a 41.7 percent conversion rate. That’s downright good. A lot of his shots come from the midrange, where most of his pull-ups occur because he’s still not comfortable walking into pull-up threes like some of the NBA’s elite scorers. Numbers like these confirm the eye test: the third-year guard’s confidence is growing, and so is his effectiveness.
Fultz has the potential to be a terror in transition, but Steve Clifford’s slow-paced offence is allergic to the fast break, finishing 21st in fast-break points per game and 26th in pace. Fultz has a nifty passing game which, like his herky-jerky handle, keeps defences off balance. In a faster-paced offence, Fultz would get more opportunity to make things happen and set up his teammates.
He’s also an intelligent cutter in the halfcourt, evoking Dwyane Wade with his quick and incisive cuts when he senses his defender’s head turn. In an offence that pushes the ball in transition, Fultz could wreak havoc with the ball in his hands or slice to the hoop for a slam. This part of his game is waiting to be developed, but it may not happen under this regime in Orlando.
While the Magic aren’t known for their offensive dynamism, Fultz succeeds in getting the most out of his teammates. The Magic’s teamwide effective field goal percentage increases by 4.2 percent when Fultz is on the floor, one of the largest margins in the entire league.
His 5.2 assists per game don’t jump off the page, but Fultz is an extremely gifted passer. It’s not hard to imagine him in a different offence, one catered to his strengths, with shooters and a faster pace.
On the other end of the floor, Fultz has flashed elite potential. His 6’10” wingspan allows him to jump passing lanes and contest shots. He posted a two percent steal rate which is good for the 86th percentile among guards leaguewide. With quick feet and a big 200-pound frame, Fultz can stay in front of opponents and has the strength to hold his position once he’s there. He has a prototypical big-guard body and can defend either guard spot. Fultz is still a bit raw on the defensive end, but he has the chance to become an impact defender in the near future.
This season was the perfect litmus test for Fultz’s potential as an NBA point guard. Orlando provided the perfect stage for him to rediscover his confidence, rebuild his shot and hone the skills that will propel him to the next stage of his career. He showcased elite passing and cutting alongside a developing jump shot and pesky defence, and has given us a taste of what he could look like in a few years.
He makes his teammates better, finds the open man and attacks the rim. Fultz might never reach the heights he was expected to when the Sixers made him the number one pick, but he’s got it all set up to be pretty damn good.
