Getty Images Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid during the tough loss to the Brooklyn Nets
Recently, the Markelle Fultz and Philadelphia 76ers drama took a bizarre turn. According to reports from The Athletic, Fultz not only has a mysterious wrist injury to add to his shoulder problems but he apparently also suggested a potential change in teams for a fresh start in the NBA.
It’s been over a year since the 76ers selected Markelle Fultz with the number one overall pick. Ever since Fultz’s arrival, there has been nothing but ups and downs. Injuries, the ‘yips,’ regression and much more. And after going through over a year’s worth of mysterious drama, the 76ers still can’t seem to figure out what exactly is going on.
2018 was supposed to be a fresh new start for Fultz. He was rumored to have fixed his shot with his former trainer, Drew Hanlen, and he was even issued a spot in the starting lineup. But after about a month into the season, Fultz not only parted ways with the trainer, Drew Hanlen, but he also lost his starting spot on the 76ers lineup, and also lost a good chunk of his minutes.
Ironically enough, less than 24 hours after Fultz played his season-low of seven minutes, he was shut down by his agent and attorney as he was ordered to get another evaluation on his shoulder. And just a few days later, the mysterious wrist injury and the want to be traded comes out of the blue, and nobody knows precisely how to react.
The 76ers React to the News
Like many NBA fans, the Philadelphia 76ers organization was quite surprised with everything going on. While the Sixers have been very giving to Fultz during his tough times, it seems as though Fultz’s communication with the team has been a one-way street. Both, head coach Brett Brown and general manager Elton Brand were shocked to find out that Fultz would not play for the Sixers for at least a week, due to the injuries.
Sixers’ big man Joel Embiid was another key person that has been impacted by the news. Since Embiid missed a significant amount of time himself early on, he definitely feels like he can relate to Markelle. But at the same time, the 76ers big man isn’t really sure what to think like the rest of us. At this point, Embiid understands that there’s only so much he can do for Fultz as his teammate on the Sixers.
Embiid’s Full Reaction
Joel Embiid’s full quote when he was asked about Markelle Fultz
What Does Ben Simmons Have to Say?
Joel Embiid’s initial response came after Wednesday nights victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. While Embiid came off as a supportive leader for Fultz, Sixers’ former first-round pick Ben Simmons didn’t exactly have a similar reaction. While the story was still very fresh, the media caught up with Simmons not too long before tipoff on Wednesday.
Ben Simmons isn’t as much as a talker as his teammate Embiid is, but you can clearly tell that Simmons has grown a bit fed up with the situation. Not that Simmons has anything against Fultz, but at this point, it is probably quite tiring for the players. As Simmons prepared for Wednesday’s game, he came off as uninterested with fielding questions and made it very clear that he wouldn’t answer anymore Fultz questions moving forward.