Markelle Fultz ‘Worked His Tail Off’ With Kobe Bryant This Offseason

Getty Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz

The former number one overall pick in a loaded 2017 draft class, Markelle Fultz has barely seen the court due to injuries and somehow losing his ability to shoot the ball. Coming out of Washington, Fultz’s ability to score effectively from all three levels while confidently assuming the role of lead ball-handler made him the surefire top prospect and despite his recent struggles, the raw talent is still there.

With a new life on the Magic and his injury (and shooting) woes hopefully in the rearview mirror, Fultz looks ready to finally showcase why he was once considered the runaway star of such a deep draft class.

Markelle Fultz ‘Worked His Tail Off’ With Kobe Bryant This Offseason

Not only did Fultz put in work at the Mamba Sports Academy, New York Times reporter Marc Stein confirmed that Fultz has been putting in work with the Mamba himself. Kobe and the Mamba Sports Academy team seem to think Markelle is ready to come back and take the league by storm and recent video evidence seems to back up their belief.

The Orlando Magic recently tweeted a hype video for Fultz in which he showed off a drastically improved (at least looks-wise) shot. Should Fultz show he can shoot the ball and play with the same confidence he exuded during his time at Washington, the Magic might have found themselves a diamond in the rough. When at his best, Fultz’s offensive upside is tremendous and his blend of athleticism, size, and scoring touch make him an exceptionally difficult cover at point guard.

Markelle Fultz Ready to Overcome Lost Shot

Especially on the Magic, a team loaded with young bigs that needs consistent scoring from their guards, Markelle Fultz could be the perfect fit. He has a number of long, athletic big men to run the pick and roll game with while being entrusted to go out and shoulder the bulk of the load offensively. Fultz showed an excellent ability to create his own looks at the collegiate level and while defenders will be much stingier in the NBA, he should be in a prime position to assume a similar ball-dominant role to the one he thrived in during his time in college.

While this all assumes that Fultz’s shot is back to normal, the other question regarding his game moving forward comes on the defensive end. Fultz has the wingspan (6’10”) to cover either guard position as well as the athletic tools to thrive on that side of the ball, however, he seemed to check out on that end during his time in Washington. Though that could be in part due to the lack of talent that surrounded him while he was there, the Magic would like to see Fultz play with a bit more focus on that end of the court.

Fultz’s ability to get minutes comes down to his jump shot, though if he can prove to be an effective two-way force for the Magic, his ceiling could be tremendously high.