Markelle Fultz is out of the background for Orlando Magic to reach his potential

Injuries raised doubts about Markelle Fultz’s game. Now healthy, he gets his chance to prove everyone right and wrong again.

Everything was so great about Markelle Fultz.

His vision, ball-handling, defense, speed of the game and calm demeanor made him going No. 1 in virtually every mock draft before the 2017 Draft.  On top of all that, he was a great guy outside of basketball, a very family-oriented guy and a person that cared a lot about his teammates.

Markelle Fultz, listed at 6-foot-4, was a “tall” point guard, something that is starting to become somewhat of a trend in today’s NBA.  Multipositional guards who can defend and space the floor alongside a playmaker and quickly becoming en vogue. The idea of a point guard or primary playmaker has changed.

Fultz had all the tools to fit that ideal. And he still does.

There were roadblocks though for Fultz. He entered the league with a lingering knee issue that knocked him out of virtually his entire first season. Then shoulder pain sidelined him before it was diagnosed as Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

The injuries and the questions about his suddenly deteriorated shot pushed his talent to the side. It was not clear Fultz would ever live up to expectations. And in the crucible of the Philadelphia 76ers’ suddenly real chase for a championship — not to mention the always critical Philadelphia fan base — Fultz quickly got the “bust” label.

Fultz is only two seasons removed from being drafted into the NBA, but he has only played 33 NBA games thus far. That is not even half of an NBA season.

The Philadelphia 76ers cut bait on the former first-round pick, sending him to the Orlando Magic at last year’s trade deadline. Orlando took a patient approach, never promising when he would return and embracing him and his recovery process at his pace.

But he always hung in the background. The potential was always there. At 21 years old, if he could get healthy again, he was not anywhere near his potential. And he showed plenty of flashes in his brief stints with the 76ers to keep up the belief.

The mystery and potential for Fultz always remained.

Fultz was in the background during the Magic’s playoff run, sitting on the bench as he joined his new team. As Orlando competed for a playoff spot and in the playoffs themselves, it was easy to see a bright future if Fultz could reach his potential.

Throughout Summer League, when the Magic were on TV, the question that national media types wondered most was about Fultz. Whether it was asking why Markelle Fultz was not playing at Summer League — coach Steve Clifford said plainly Fultz was not ready for 5-on-5 play at that time — or pondering just how he would fit or lift this team.

It was clear that Fultz was a driving force for the Magic’s potential. If he was healthy, the team would have filled one of its biggest weaknesses and found its potential star to get to the next level. Without him, the team was at best still an also-ran for the playoffs.

That was a lot of pressure to put on Fultz. Pressure the Magic did not want to put on him. But it is still there nonetheless.

With training camp set to begin, the answers may finally be coming when it comes to Fultz. That “surprise” will get some answers now.

President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman announced Wednesday that Markelle Fultz was cleared for training camp without any restrictions. With that announcement, the Magic also allowed the media to watch Fultz go through shooting drills for the first time.

The team after being so guarded with his progress and their expectations for him had thrown open the doors. The Magic’s social media team even created a hype video that seemed designed to get Magic fans excited for the upcoming season.

After all, he is just 21 years old.

Suddenly, the Magic are acknowledging the weight of this expectation and embracing it.

Fultz said he was appreciative of the support and love the Magic organization — and fans — showed him since he arrived in Orlando. They wanted to get to the bottom of his injury and foster his development and growth too.

Now with his rehab mostly behind him — Weltman said the team would continue to monitor him even though he would play without restriction — the Magic have to find out what kind of player they have in Fultz.

And that part is not entirely clear.

There are many reasons to still believe in Fultz.  He showed in college he has superstar potential after he averaged, 23.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. He also added 1.2 blocks and 1.6 steals per game. He did so while shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc and a 53.5 percent effective field goal percentage as a high-usage scorer for the Washington Huskies.

Even in the small sample size of 33 games he has played in the NBA, he has shown tremendous potential.

He played solid defense and showed the ability to guard multiple positions.  He showed the ability to turn defense into quick buckets on the other end. Also, his playmaking ability was on display in Philadelphia, playing alongside the likes of Joel Embiid. Fultz was the youngest player to record a triple-double and still averaged 3.1 assists per game in 22.5 minutes per game last year.

Even without a consistent jumper — or defenses respecting his shooting ability — he could still get into the paint and create for others.

Fultz has not been on a basketball court for nearly a year. His last game was Nov. 19. There will be rust to knock off and he has to get himself back to playing at NBA speed consistently.

He is essentially a rookie. Fultz would even acknowledge that and he knows there will be mistakes ahead. The Magic understand this too. Fultz is not a star jumping into the lineup. The Magic will have to foster and develop him still.

But the potential is very clearly there. The Magic are excited about him. Excited enough to give him his own debut even before training camp begins — getting out in front of questions that would surely dominate media day if they were left unanswered.

Now, Fultz has a franchise that believes in him. He has a fanbase that is all behind him.  Add Clifford to the mix, who showed his ability to develop a team and individuals who are willing to work and take his coaching, and the future does look bright.

While Fultz may be considered a wild card, there should still be a lot of optimism that Fultz can become a huge part of this Magic squad and take this team to new heights.