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The Markelle Fultz situation in Philadelphia has only grown more confounding as the NBA season rages on and there continues to be no set time table for his return. Ostensibly, the root of the problem is a lingering shoulder injury that has dramatically affected his shooting form.
The No. 1 overall pick has reportedly been trying all sorts of strategies and drills to essentially “relearn” how to shoot a basketball, which isn’t a sentence that inspires confidence at all, and even Sixers president and GM Bryan Colangelo admitted last week that Fultz still doesn’t have much ability to shoot anywhere outside the paint.
Naturally, there’s been plenty of debate as to how much of it is physical versus mental. Regardless, the organization remains adamant that he won’t return to action until he can fix his form, so the training staff has recently gotten creative in their attempts to add a more fluid, natural rhythm to his jumper.
The Sixers have been one of the most forward-thinking franchises of the past few years, thanks in no small part to former GM Sam Hinkie’s philosophical predilection to all things Silicon Valley, so it’s no surprise the organization would try and leverage all the technology available to help rehab one of their most valuable assets.
Meanwhile, the Sixers continue to make their way without him. They currently have a tenuous grasp on the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, but their other two young stars – Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons – have both had tremendous seasons and are eyeing a second-half push that they hope ends in a much-anticipated postseason return.
Whether Fultz makes it back to the court by then remains to be seen.
Source: Uproxx