Magic stay patient with ex-Sixers No. 1 pick Fultz
ORLANDO, Fla. — As the start of training camp draws closer for the Orlando Magic, point guard Markelle Fultz continues to recover from the Thoracic Outlet Syndrome issue in his right shoulder that forced him to miss nearly all of last season.
Fultz was acquired last season in a trade deadline deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, who picked Fultz No. 1 overall in the 2017 NBA draft. Fultz last appeared in an NBA game on Nov. 19, 2018, when he played seven minutes against the Phoenix Suns.
Having played in just 14 games as a rookie, Fultz has appeared in only 33 NBA games in what have been two injury-filled seasons.
At the time of the trade, the Magic pledged to bring Fultz along slowly and not rush his return. And while Fultz has been working closely with coaches and training staff this offseason, Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman this week reiterated the cautious approach.
“I’m not going to put a timetable on it, as we haven’t before, but he continues to work hard and make progress, and he’s in a good place working with the coaches and rehab guys,” Weltman told the Sentinel.
Fultz has been working closely with Magic coaches and training staff this offseason. He recently has been seen putting up shots in videos posted to social media, sparking speculation that he’s nearing a return.
Weltman, however, threw up a caution flag.
“Again, we’re not going to put timelines or expectations on how that all unfolds. It will come as it comes,” Weltman said. “As I’ve been saying, he continues to be in a good place and get better and improve. I can’t predict exactly how that’s going to look when it unfolds, but we’re very excited about the progress that he’s made.”
As he pointed out, Fultz just turned 21 in May and has played in what amounts to less than half an NBA season. There’s little question about Fultz’s talent and abilities, but the fact remains that he’s a young player still learning and trying to develop in the NBA.
“He’s a tremendously talented guy and he’s a hard worker and he’s a team-first guy and he’s got intelligence and he’s got awareness. He’s got everything that it takes to be a great player in this league,” Weltman said.
While that may not be what Magic fans want to hear, Weltman remains confident the team’s patience will pay off.
Weltman said he understands that fans are champing at the bit for any news nuggets on Fultz. Weltman said fans can be certain that Fultz is “really all about helping us win.”
“I know that the fans are eager for information, and we have the best fans, and I just want them to know that they’d be really proud of him with how hard he’s working and how much he wants to help the team,” Weltman said.