Concerning news regarding Philadelphia 76ers former first overall pick Markelle Fultz relating to the overall health of his shoulder.
Coming on the heels of not playing the second half of the Philadelphia 76ers home matchup against the Phoenix Suns, more concerning news surrounding Markelle Fultz is coming out. David Aldridge of The Athletic broke the following news regarding the status of Fultz’s shoulder.
At the direction of his attorney, Raymond Brothers, @MarkelleF is scheduled to see a shoulder specialist early next week. Per Brothers, Fultz will not participate in team practices or games until after the the specialist has had a chance to evaluate him.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) November 20, 2018
It’s unclear at this point if this move by Fultz and his camp is a result of an injury or due to his overall underwhelming performance thus far this season. If it proves to be the former, it’s a bad look for the Philadelphia 76ers organization, because if he does have a major medical issue it would have proved that the Sixers didn’t do their job of either diagnosing it or they forced him to play through it.
It should be noted that Philly has done a great job in being patient with injuries in the past with more recent examples like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. If news comes out that Fultz is in fact dealing with a major injury, it would come as a big surprise.
More from The Sixer Sense
- 3 Sixers players who could help Team USA Basketball
- 76ers 2k24 ratings: 3 most underrated players on Philadelphia roster
- 76ers head coach Nick Nurse bares lofty plans for Paul Reed this season
- Grade the Trade: 76ers swap Tobias Harris for superstar PG in mock deal
- Sixers Podcast: Danny Green returns + James Harden bombshell
Whispers of Fultz still dealing with an injury isn’t new. His former trainer Drew Hanlen has tweeted so on social media before deleting the post and Dr. Rajpal Brar, who has a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Northern Arizona University (NAU), has stated in a video that Fultz is suffering from chronic nerve pain.
This diagnosis is based on his new free throw form which he debuted against the Utah Jazz, after the double clutch fiasco against the Miami Heat. Dr. Brar stated that Fultz changing his free throw form is a way to deal with pain triggers built in his brain.
On that same note, it should be pointed out that while Fultz was attempting 3-point shots in October, he’s only attempted one single shot from beyond the arc in the month of November. If Fultz is experiencing pain, it would explain why he isn’t attempting shots from long range.
However, none of these can definitively confirm that Fultz’s has an injury issue with his shoulder. Dr. Brar’s diagnosis appears to be more observational rather than an up-close and personal look. There’s just no way of knowing for sure if Fultz is injured or not until he meets with the specialist.
In the mean time, the Sixers depth at point guard should be fine in the hands of T.J. McConnell. He has proven to be a solid reserve for the team in the past having career averages of 6.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.3 steals. Due to inconstant playing time this season, his averages are down at 4.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.6 steals, but once he gets consistent minutes they should go up.
Regardless of the outcome of this meeting, it will most likely mean bad news for both Fultz and the Philadelphia 76ers. If he’s injured then it means a long road to recovery for the point guard and a bad look for the Sixers. Whereas if he’s not, then that means a much deeper issue that Fultz and the 76ers will have to work together to overcome.