The Philadelphia 76ers have been known to shelve their talented young players for entire seasons at a time, and it appeared that Markelle Fultz was essentially headed for that fate. On Monday, though, Philadelphia tersely announced that the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft would suit up for that evening’s home game against the Nuggets.
Fultz entered game with just over two minutes left in the first quarter, and he was met with a warm ovation from the fans in Philadelphia. The cheers were much louder moments later, when he drove to the hoop for a layup, giving him his first points since Oct. 23.
If the announcement of Fultz’s return took many by surprise, it also sent a jolt through the NBA, and in particular through Sixers fans, who have waited 68 games to see Fultz back on the court. The 6-foot-4 guard played in the first four games of the season, then was sidelined with a mysterious shoulder injury, amid reports of, and video clips showing, confounding changes to his shooting motion.
It has been unclear whether Fultz changed his motion in reaction to the injury, or if the reverse took place, but he has been practicing with the team since early in the year. The 76ers have offered little information about Fultz, but many observers have assumed that he has been healthy enough to play for weeks, but the team has trying to restore his shooting touch and possibly his confidence.
Philadelphia Coach Brett Brown said before Monday’s game that Fultz made the decision to suit up. Brown said he had “goose bumps” at the return of the guard, of whom the coach was “proud,” and that Fultz would be brought off the bench as the backup to point guard Ben Simmons.
“There needs to be an intelligent, realistic plan for him,” Brown said of easing Fultz back into his team’s rotation. “We’re all going to learn, and see how this plays out, but it’s just fantastic news.”
Philadelphia may want to continue to take a deliberate approach with Fultz, but with 10 games to go in the regular season, the team will soon have a decision to make about whether he is added to its playoff roster. Led by Simmons and Joel Embiid, who missed a combined three full seasons with foot injuries but have blossomed into a dominant young duo this season, the 76ers recently made the postseason for the first time since 2012.
“We have ten games before the playoffs,” Brown said. “I’ve said for a long time, the risk-reward, I’m going to lean on reward. He’s different on anything that we have.”
Fultz, a D.C.-area native who was an offensive force in his one season at the University of Washington, hit nine of his 27 shots in four games with the Sixers, averaging 6.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.5 steals in 19.0 minutes. “It’s exciting, it’s what everyone’s been waiting on,” said teammate Robert Covington, who praised Fultz for putting in “hard work.”
“Once the physical aspect of his injury had been cured, so to speak, and he’s in the process of regaining his shooting form, and his ability to do the things on the court that he was able to do, it’s been about him being comfortable,” Philadelphia President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo told reporters. ” … It’s been somewhat gradual, but there’s been a quickening to the process recently, and we’re seeing great development, and if we didn’t feel this was putting him in the right situation, we wouldn’t have him out there.”
Fultz ended up going just five of 13 from the field Monday, but he added eight assists and four rebounds to his 10 points in a 123-104 76ers victory. Afterward, Fultz said he “had a little confidence” and was happy to help his team win, adding, “They all stuck with me, worked with me and kept believing in me.”
Read more from The Post:
Archive: An inside look into Fultz’s psyche
Stephen Curry hopes to prove Steve Kerr wrong on his recovery time
