Former Sixers shining at Disney: Markelle Fultz
No matter how long it’s been since Markelle Fultz was traded from the Sixers, he’s gonna show up in an article here at The Sixer Sense every once in a while. This appearance is more than warranted based on his shooting in the Bubble.
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The 76ers infamous traded up in the 2017 NBA Draft to draft to select Fultz with the first overall pick. In college, Fultz looked like he could be the missing piece to make the duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid to fit on the court. He was a point guard who could score on all three levels and who could also play off the ball when needed.
Most NBA followers know that didn’t happen. Fultz came to Philly with a broken jump shot. His form looked awful and he struggled in a major way. The official reason for his struggles was due to a shoulder injury called thoracic outlet syndrome.
Sadly, by the time this was discovered it appeared that the franchise was already moving on from him as they had already traded for Bulter earlier that season and traded for Tobias Harris near the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline.
Fultz was traded at that same deadline to the Orlando Magic for a conditional first round pick, James Ennis and Jonathon Simmons. Fultz made his Magic debut this season and has played well for Orlando. He’s averaged 12.0 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.3 steals while only converting 27.9 percent of his 3-point shots this year.
However, in the Disney Bubble, Fultz’s shot looks better, especially from outside. He’s averaged 10 points while making 4-5 of his 3-pointers in four games. Impressive right? Yes, it’s a small sample size, but if he can continue to good shooting, then the Sixers would have clearly lost the deal the trade that sent him to Orlando as he’s starting to show why he was selected first overall in the first place.
It’s certainly important to follow the current Philadelphia 76ers team in the Disney Bubble, but there’s no harm in checking in on former players as well.