Philadelphia 76ers: What to make of Markelle Fultz’s newest jump shot video

Former Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz is shooting jumpers again. Here are some thoughts.

I know, I know. I don’t have the write about the Markelle Fultz videos anymore. The once agonizing saga has shifted venues, with the former No. 1 pick looking to revive his NBA career in Orlando. It’s no longer the Philadelphia 76ers‘ concern.

But here we are, in the doldrums of summer. School years are starting, temperatures are steaming and Markelle Fultz is in an empty gym shooting. For the first time since Fultz was dealt to the Magic, we have tangible evidence of his new-look (!) jumper.

It’s all sorts of deja vu.

Okay, first things first: Why are Markelle’s top secret workouts happening in a rec gym? An AAU gym? There are lots of people there, yet Markelle is casually tossing up 3-point shots that might break the internet. It seems much less secretive than last summer, when he went off the grid until Drew Hanlen’s mixtape session.

On a more serious note, it’s impossible to get a read on the situation at this stage. His mechanics look fine, but it’s only two shot attempts. They looked fine last summer, but a few weeks into the season, Fultz was back at square one — totally avoiding in-game 3-pointers.

Much has been made about Fultz’s tenure in Philadelphia. There’s a very ugly corner of the internet that borders on open disdain. There are fans who are convinced Fultz wronged the franchise. That Fultz will spend forever in purgatory, labeled as almost arrogant.

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The reason for such feelings are unclear. Fultz is a disappointment. His time in Philadelphia was rough, filled with constant uncertainty and irritating vagueness. Yet one thing is abundantly clear — Fultz was injured. Whether through poor coaching or physical strain, we don’t know. But Fultz hurt his shoulder.

There’s no other way to explain Fultz — the No. 1 overall pick and a 40+ percent 3-point shooter in college — watching his mechanics melt into undistinguishable gunk. His shoulder, through nerve damage, went berserk, and with it went his shot.

Sometimes, luck factors into basketball. Fultz had no control over his injury. You can argue Fultz handled it wrong. Or he kept the wrong people in his circle. But the root of the issue — his slip into physical dysfunction — is beyond Fultz. It’s just bad luck.

Actively rooting against Markelle is wrong. It lacks sensitivity toward a young man who has openly dealt with serious mental and physical hurdles in the NBA. Fultz worked his entire life to earn the honors of No. 1 pick, only for his greatest strength to slip away. Just read the comment sections on Instagram or Twitter. It’s disheartening.

All accounts are Fultz works hard. It was his reputation in high school, his reputation in college and his reputation in Philadelphia. While sustainable success wasn’t the end result, he put in incredible honors with Drew Hanlen last summer. Fultz was pulling two-a-days, doing everything in his power to regain form and get on the court.

He was also regarded as a top-notch human, something I doubt has changed. He’s a good kid dealing with the side-effects of a rare, not fully understood injury. The dictionary account of thoracic outlet syndrome is tough to swallow. It involves deep mechanical problems in the shoulder — including nerve damage and a loss of muscle memory.

"Neurogenic (neurological) thoracic outlet syndrome. This form of thoracic outlet syndrome is characterized by compression of the brachial plexus. The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that come from your spinal cord and control muscle movements and sensation in your shoulder, arm and hand. In the majority of thoracic outlet syndrome cases, the symptoms are neurogenic. — Mayo Clinic"

If anything, Sixer fans should root for Fultz’s success. He’s no longer holding back the on-court product. He’s a net loss in value, but Fultz worked hard for the Sixers. He never willingly wronged the team or the fanbase.

As Fultz continues his rehab, perhaps there’s a breakthrough on the horizon. If his shot mechanics can fundamentally change, there’s reason to believe Fultz has the tools to carve out an NBA career. He’s too athletic and too talented not to.