Getty Images Markelle Fultz during warmups.
When will the Markelle Fultz drama end for the Philadelphia 76ers? Ever since the team drafted him with the first-overall pick in 2017, there has been nothing but questions and drama. The entire timeline of events is long and mysterious, and at this point, we still don’t have any answers as to what is really going on with Fultz.
Last year, Fultz started for the Sixers, and his shot form was apparently broken. After a few games, the team decided to shut him down for a good chunk of the season as they were rehabbing his mysterious shoulder injury, Then when they brought him back, something still seemed off. At that point, it was too late to wait for Fultz to improve himself, so the Sixers pretty much ended his season without saying it.
Was it the pressure of being the first pick leaving Fultz with the ‘yips?’ Or was it the mysterious motorcycle accident that is rumored to be going around? Nobody can quite figure out when, or how everything went wrong for Fultz and his jumpshot, but everybody was hopeful that in 2018 he would finally figure it out.
This season, we expected a much different outcome from Fultz. After spending the entire summer working with a jump shot guru named Drew Hanlen, Fultz was supposed to be a new and improved player in year two. While he has had a few flashes (very few) through the first stretch of the season, it was clear that the Sixers weren’t really hitting any significant strides with Fultz in the picture.
Hanlen publicly claimed that Fultz is still not healthy, but he later deleted his statement from Twitter after he caught some heat for it. Now, about a week after Hanlen accused the Sixers of playing Fultz while he’s still not healthy, Fultz will see a shoulder specialist next week to see what’s going on, according to David Aldridge.
Fultz to See a Specialist?
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.
And just like that, the Sixers situation with Fultz gets even crazier. With guidance from his attorney, Fultz will see a specialist for a more in-depth look into what’s going on. And during that time, Fultz will not practice or play in any games. Now, his absence from the court in the second half of Monday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets is beginning to make some sense.
If Fultz finds out that he is indeed still injured, what happens next? Do the Sixers get into trouble for playing him, and not taking all of the proper procedures for Fultz to endure in a healing process? It’s all unclear. But here we are once again digging deeper into the mystery. So, don’t expect to see Fultz on the court for a while. It’s officially T.J. McConnell season once again off the bench.