BY

STAFF REPORTER

After missing 68 straight games with a mysterious shoulder ailment, the number one overall pick in the 2017 draft is finally available for action. 19-year-old point guard Markelle Fultz has been thrust headfirst into the midst of the first Philadelphia 76ers playoff run in six years.

Fultz played a limited role during the first four games of the season, then vanished for months. The Fultz shoulder saga existed as one of the strangest storylines in the NBA, as Fultz was kept out of the lineup with little-to-no transparency from the 76ers front office.

After missing five straight months, Philadelphia fans greeted the point guard with a standing ovation, and later on in the game, serenaded him with a mockery of the Minnesota Vikings “Skol” chant, popularized by Philadelphia Eagles fans during the Eagles super bowl run, in which “Fultz” shouts echoed throughout Wells Fargo Center.

Shortly after adding Fultz to the lineup, the 76ers subtracted their star center, Joel Embiid. In a play almost too poetic for a Philadelphia team accustomed to losing stars to injury, Fultz’s right shoulder collided with Embiid’s eye, leaving Embiid with a concussion and orbital fracture requiring surgery. The all-star center’s absence creates a gaping void in the offense. It also, however, opens up an opportunity that the rookie could fill.

Post-Embiid injury, the 76ers need help, especially in the form of a creative guard who can manufacture offense off the bench — a bill Fultz exactly fits. Patience has been key throughout the toils of the 76ers past seasons, and they’ll have to exercise it once more with their 19-year-old point guard. Fultz has only shown flashes against NBA competition thus far, but his strengths are undeniable and have reminded 76ers fans why he was selected first overall.

At 6’4” with a 6’10” wingspan, Fultz’s frame stands out; his body allows him to bully opposing guards on the offensive side of the floor, as well as match up defensively. Despite a limited range on offense, the guard has delivered on off-the-dribble mid-range shots, as well as displayed an aptitude to glide by defenders and finish inside among towering NBA seven-footers. Fultz’s herky-jerky handle has translated effectively to the NBA — with an explosive first step and a variety of dribble moves, he’s left defenders in the dust just as he did at Washington. An underrated passing ability paired with his off-kilter handle equals a formula to dominate pick-and-rolls. His basketball I.Q. has allowed him to weave through NBA defenses, and his unique understanding of angles on the floor lets him dart pinpoint accurate passes to perimeter shooters.

Despite all of these strengths, they’ve merely been flashes. Fultz comes and goes, as he tends to blend into the offense more often than not. His game is not 100 percent back to his college form; however, with six games left against teams with an average winning percentage of 422, the lack of competition could surely help the young point guard round into form come time for the playoffs. It only takes one game in the postseason to swing a series, and if Fultz can channel the wizardry that made him such a dynamic prospect at Washington, he absolutely could do just that.