When Markelle Fultz goes for his pregame workout these days, there’s no crowd of fans clutching cell phones to record every movement. No clips uploaded to Twitter, no army of followers eager to dissect every Fultz shot — from hand placement to ball arc to follow-through.
For the first two years of his career, that was the often case for the DeMatha product, who played in just 33 games across two seasons after being drafted first overall in 2017. He was sidelined by a mysterious shoulder injury — later diagnosed as “thoracic outlet syndrome.”
It seemed like every workout on the road to recovery was an opportunity to see how the 21-year-old was progressing.
These days, anyone anxious to see how the Orlando Magic guard is doing doesn’t have to scour social media. Just check the box scores.
Fultz has appeared in all of Orlando’s 20 games, starting 15.
As he returned Tuesday to the District, just a few miles from his Upper Marlboro, Maryland, hometown, Fultz has settled into his NBA career.
QUIZ: Can you match the nickname to the NBA player?
Going into Tuesday night’s game against the Wizards, Fultz was averaging almost 12 points and four assists a night.
More than anything, Fultz is just glad to be back on the court.
“It’s all I can ask for,” he said.
Tuesday wasn’t Fultz’s first homecoming as a pro. Two years ago, as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, he made his NBA debut against the Wizards, a moment he remembered fondly.
“I had a lot of people here,” Fultz said.
But it wasn’t long after when Fultz’s troubles intensified. He was shut down after four games and didn’t return until late March. His motion still didn’t look right, and the health problems continued into the following year as he appeared in only 19 games.
In the meantime, those outside of the 76ers wondered what was wrong. Some pondered if it was mental, a classic case of the “yips.” After all, before the draft, Fultz was the consensus first overall pick. Philadelphia even traded up from third to grab him. How could a player that talented look like he forgot how to shoot?
Fultz said the difference now is he can freely lift his arm above his head — something he wasn’t able to do before.
Range of motion, he said, impacts everything with his game — shooting, passing, dribbling and dunking. One of the first signs Fultz appeared to look normal was when he threw down an explosive breakaway dunk in transition during the Magic’s season opener.
“Everything feels better,” Fultz said.
One of the more positive signs about Fultz’s return is that the guard is regularly getting to the rim — a trait that rocketed him up draft boards after just one season at the University of Washington.
According to NBA.com, Fultz entered Tuesday’s matchup averaging 11.2 drives to the lane per game. On those opportunities, he’s shooting 54% on 4.4 attempts per game.
“He’s living in the paint,” Magic coach Steve Clifford said. “When he’s in the paint, we’re running really good offense, so you can see why he was the No. 1 pick.”
Clifford said Fultz has worked hard to get back to this point. The Magic, too, represented a fresh start for the 21-year-old, trading for him last season. Orlando provided a better opportunity for Fultz to have the ball in his hands. In Philadelphia, Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler often ran the offense, forcing Fultz to adjust.
Clifford, though, trusts Fultz to run the offense. He runs plays through the point guard. The coach credited his “great approach,” calling him organized in stating his goals and working to get better.
“He and we are reaping the benefits right now,” Clifford said.
Before the Wizards game, Fultz said he didn’t have to fulfill too many ticket requests. He added what he liked about his family and friends was that they get their own tickets to the game.
He laughed.
“They try to let me worry about basketball and I appreciate it,” Fultz said.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.