Markelle Fultz looked smooth last night.
(PHOTO CREDIT: AP.)
These days, it seems like there’s negativity everywhere I turn. Sports, including the NBA, is one of its biggest offenders. In wanting our favorite player and team to succeed, it almost automatically resorts to wanting everyone else to fail. Some people want them to fail so hard that they’ll stoop to wishing that their health fails them. Why are we so awful?
And then there’s the story of a possible redemption of one such player. Markelle Fultz had such a funky first couple of years in the league after being selected the first pick overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. Much was expected of the former Washington Huskie as the Sixers looked to return to the postseason with a healthy Joel Embiid and a healthy Ben Simmons.
However, it was his own health that got in the way. He had a shoulder injury that bugged him for most of the season. That’s when everyone and their mothers started calling him a “draft bust.” There’s hardly anything more jarring in professional sports than being called a draft bust; a failure, if you will. I think his health was talked about so much that most people already forgot that he’s the youngest to ever post a triple-double in the NBA. He did it a month shy of age 20.
The next year was supposed to be better for Fultz but it ended up being worse. Initially named the starter, he lost the gig to Sixers newcomer Jimmy Butler (I think you heard of him). And then he was out again with that shoulder injury. It was called thoracic outlet syndrome, which apparently “affects the nerves between the neck and shoulder which severely limits functional movement and range of motion.” That really explained his weird shooting motion. It was like he forgot to shoot a basketball.
Anyway, the peanut gallery got louder. Finally, Fultz was traded to Orlando right before the trading deadline. Fultz didn’t suit up for Orlando that season.
One of my hopes this season was to see Markelle Fultz play well. Not necessarily the hype of a first overall pick but just be healthy and be a good rotation player, whether he’s the 10th man or whatever.
Markelle looked at peace on the court against Cleveland last night. He came in and looked like gangbusters in the first quarter. Fultz scored eight points off the pine in that period. His only miss out of five shots? It was preceded by a beautiful spin move off of Matthew Dellavedova.
Fultz rejects the screen with a spin and creates space for the pull-up. Just an incredible aesthetic to his game pic.twitter.com/nZa1V7pyYE
— Max Carlin (@maxacarlin) October 23, 2019
Fultz would finish with 12 points and six assists. He also had a highlight dunk that would bring your house down. This game was a very encouraging sign towards his comeback.
I’m sure Fultz himself has little goals aside from the big goal of staying healthy. Play a certain number of consecutive games (start small before making it big). Get more and more minutes as the season goes on. Maybe eventually start. And then, boom, one FULL season under his belt (his first two years consisted of 14 and then 19 games played).
I am rooting for him to hit those goals. Can’t think of any all-star berths until he can prove to himself and everyone that he’s healthy and that he can be an everyday player.
And screw those people that say he should’ve been this good all along. They never know what they’re talking about.
Go get it, Markelle.
Bullet Passes
*Kyrie Irving was the most electrifying player last night. Sure, it was in a loss and we really should give the Wolves more credit for that. But, man, Irving went for 50-8-7 in his Nets debut (THINK ABOUT THAT: 50 POINTS, 8 REBOUNDS, 7 ASSISTS). And if he made this…
Here’s the final play of Wolves/Nets. Kyrie Irving went NBA Street and nearly made the game-winning J. pic.twitter.com/70OudjkqRw
— 𝐑𝐞𝐲-𝐑𝐞𝐲 🤞🏾✌🏾 (@TheNoLookPass) October 24, 2019
…it would be an all-time game-winner. Whether he did this on purpose or not, he never seemed frazzled the entire time.
*So yeah, let’s give the Wolves their due. Karl-Anthony Towns was fantastic (36 points and 14 rebounds). I want to say that they don’t win this without the much-maligned Andrew Wiggins making some clutch baskets but how the hell was he a -26 in a one-point overtime win?!
*A friend asked me (a Lakers fan) if the Lakers had the best starting five in the league. I quickly responded with the Sixers. Good grief. I didn’t realize how tall that starting line-up was. Their shortest guy was Josh Richardson at 6’6″. Because I forgot that their point guard, Ben Simmons is 6’10”. The rest? Tobias Harris is 6’9″. Al Horford is 6’9″. And Joel Embiid is 7′. THOSE ARE SOME TREES.
*Hassan Whiteside played suffocating defense against Nikola Jokic. It was so devastating that our friends from The Score did something.
Hassan Whiteside’s controller ran out of batteries at the worst time. 😅 🤷♂️ 🎮 pic.twitter.com/RMWYqTZi5J
— theScore (@theScore) October 24, 2019
*No Blake Griffin but Andre Drummond went for 32 points and 23 boards. Dude, it’s the first game of the season.
*Maybe I underestimated the Miami Heat. I had them at 34 wins. Whoops.
*So I hear the guards that traded places (Charlotte and Boston) didn’t do so well last night. Woof.
*And good grief, Sacramento. I didn’t expect you guys to lay an egg at Phoenix.
Watch This Play
Derrick Jones, Jr., this is SO messed up.
(PHOTO CREDIT: NBA.)
Oh, to be young again. NOT that I could ever fly like that, though…
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
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