After struggling with his shoulder, shot, and a possible mental block, Markelle Fultz dropped a triple-double for the Philadelphia 76ers in the season’s last game.
The Process is all about moments like the one that happened on Wednesday night in Milwaukee. The Philadelphia 76ers decimated the Bucks by a score of 130-95, and the real highlight came from rookie Markelle Fultz.
We all know the big, confusing story surrounding Fultz this season, so ending the season with a triple-double is a fairytale ending to a rough season for the University of Washington product. He dropped 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the blowout victory while shooting an efficient 6-13 from the field.
Although the guard has not recovered full confidence in his jump shot, he has contributed greatly off the bench for the Sixers. Brett Brown recently increased his playing time: he began his comeback by playing Fultz around 15 minutes per game, but on Wednesday, the rookie played 25 minutes, the most he has played in a single game this season.
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Fultz most certainly made the most of those minutes, and his triple-double played a large role in the Sixers’ steamrolling of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Triple-doubles in 25 minutes of play are always impressive, but on top of that, the fact the 19-year-old missed so many games due to his lost jump shot and shoulder issues makes for a truly heartwarming story.
The first overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft missed 68 games out of the regular season’s 82. His eventful rookie year seems more similar to a Black Mirror episode than an NBA player’s rookie year, but unlike most Black Mirror episodes, this came with a happy ending.
Indeed, this atypical season was oddly typical for the Sixers during the Process era. Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons all missed the entirety of their rookie years due to injury, so seeing a high lottery pick play 14 games in the season right after he was drafted is as rare as a quadruple-double. Fultz won’t win the Rookie of the Year award, but the fact that he overcame such an odd series of events is a victory in itself.
Even without full confidence in his jump shot, Fultz manages to make himself vital to the team with his well-rounded game and vicious slashing ability. With the Philadelphia 76ers’ first playoff game since 2012 coming on Saturday, it’s important to have the rookie confident when he comes off the bench to face Dwyane Wade and the rest of the Miami Heat.
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His athleticism off the bench has helped Philly preserve leads over the course of their record 16-game winning streak, and his role will be just as vital in the postseason.