Report: 76ers Encouraged With Markelle Fultz, But Return Not Imminent
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Could Markelle Fultz help the Philadelphia 76ers this season?
Fultz, who doesn't turn 20 until May 29th, has played in just four NBA games this season after going through some sort of shot change / shoulder injury / mental issue that PhillyVoice.com's Kyle Neubeck did his best to summarize last month.
Meanwhile, all of the sudden, Fultz -- the No. 1 overall pick in last summer's NBA draft -- looks, dare I say, ready to return.
The Sixers have 16 games remaining before, barring a collapse, embarking on their first postseason tournament play in six years. At 36-30, the Sixers are just 3.0 games behind the Indiana Pacers, the No. 3 seed in the east.
However, The Athletic's Derek Bodner reports that while Fultz is making progress, there is currently no plan for his return.
In his one season at Washington, Fultz shot 47.6% from the field, 41.3% from beyond the arc, and 64.9% from the free throw line. Fultz averaged 23.2 points, 5.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game as a college freshman.
His his ability to shoot and score at all levels of the basketball court was his most attractive quality to the Sixers, who traded up from No. 3 to No. 1 to select the long 6'4″ guard (6'10" wingspan).
