The Sixer Sense
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Markelle Fultz’s shoulder injury is worse than expected

By Christopher Kline

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 21: Markelle Fultz #20 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up prior to the first half of an NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre on October 21, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 21: Markelle Fultz #20 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up prior to the first half of an NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre on October 21, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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According to his agent, the Philadelphia 76ers’ most recent No. 1 pick has undergone treatment for his shoulder.

After a rough start to his rookie season, new information has come to light regarding Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz and his apparent shoulder injury. ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarkowski reported that Fultz had fluid drained from his right shoulder.

He also “cannot raise up his arms to shoot the basketball” according to his agent, which would obviously explain his refusal to shoot extended jumpers and his inability to reverse whatever kinks his shot has taken on. Here’s the full quote given in the report:

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"“Markelle had a shoulder injury and fluid drained out of the back of his shoulder,” agent Raymond Brothers told ESPN. “He literally cannot raise up his arms to shoot the basketball. He decided to try and fight through the pain to help the team. He has a great attitude. We are committed to finding a solution to get Markelle back to 100 percent.”No decision has been made for Fultz to miss games, league sources said."

The last sentence is the most egregious. If Fultz is physically incapable of shooting a basketball, there’s no reason for him to be on the floor. He hasn’t had a positive impact yet, and risking future issues by asking him to push through an injury in his shooting shoulder would be downright foolish.

The Sixers’ medical staff has always taken extra precaution when it comes to the team’s young core, and that’s something the newly-revamped crew has to do with Fultz. Sit him down, let him rest his shoulder and look for the best way to rehab both his shoulder and his shot moving forward. The team’s immediate success isn’t dependent on whether or not he plays, and maxing out his productivity long term should still be the goal.

This is the kind of news nobody wanted to hear, and it’s another delicate situation the Sixers coaching staff and front office will be tasked with handling. They can’t rush Fultz back from injury, but don’t want to lack any transparency in his recovery process either.

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We don’t know all the details yet, but this seems like something that should shut down Fultz or at least a few weeks. He needs time to heal and to get his confidence back. It’s not time to panic, but this certainly isn’t ideal.