Markelle Fultz primed to breakout for Orlando Magic during NBA’s restart

After a bizarre start to his career, Markelle Fultz has found a home with the Orlando Magic. The 22-year-old is now in a perfect position to break out on the national scene.

Just a couple of days ago, Markelle Fultz made his way into the NBA’s bubble and joined the Orlando Magic at Disney after dealing with a personal matter the league and the team excused. He cleared quarantine and rejoined his teammates for practice Friday, making the Magic a bit closer to whole.

Waiting is something Fultz is no stranger to. After being drafted first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2017, a shoulder injury sidelined the young prospect during his rookie season. Many began to speculate if things were more “mental” than “physical.”

After finally getting diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, giving a name to the odd sensation and numb feeling he was feeling as he would often struggle to lift his arm, Markelle Fultz began the long toward recovery.

After getting traded to the Magic, they gave him the time to fully recover. They proceeded cautiously.

But Fultz quickly burst through, seizing the starting point guard job and guiding the Magic into playoff position. He is averaging 12.1 points per game and 5.2 assists per game. Fultz was one of the nicer comeback stories of the year.

So what is another little bit of waiting to finish what is essentially his rookie year?

As the Magic get set to resume their season, they are poised to make a run for the seventh seed. And Fultz, once he joins the team on the practice floor after clearing quarantine, will be a big part of that.

If he can pick up where he left off, he could be the Magic’s breakout star to end the season.

The long journey here

Markelle Fultz was sidelined during most of the remainder of his rookie season and all but 19 games of his second season. There were conflicting reports coming out of Philadelphia regarding his health, creating unnecessary drama among the team.

This was all an unfair burden to place upon a 19-year-old looking to find his way in the league.

On Feb. 7, 2019, Fultz got the break he needed — a change of scenery.

He was traded to the Orlando Magic for a package centered around Jonathon Simmons and two draft picks. He rehabbed during the remainder of the 2019 season, finally making his debut on opening night of this season.

During his opener with the Magic, Fultz scored 12 points and showed flashes of greatness.

In what now feels like ages ago, Fultz played himself into the starting lineup after just five games. His impact was immediately felt as he brought his youthful energy and transition ability to the court immediately.

In January, Fultz played his best game in the NBA so far, recording a triple-double versus the Los Angeles Lakers.

This was the player that Philadelphia had drafted and this was the type of performance that would make the 76ers regret ever trading Fultz to the Magic.

In the 64 games he appeared in before the NBA’s postponement back in March, Fultz was putting up 12.1 points per game, 5.2 assists per game and 3.3 rebounds per game — all while just playing 28 minutes per game.

He has made his presence known on the defensive end as well, guarding the other team’s primary ball-handler and averaging 1.3 steals per game.

The biggest concerns so far all revolve around his jump shot. Some have stated Fultz is just a jump shot away from potentially being elite. Now that he has gone through his first fully healthy season, he can look forward to improving his individual skills more during an offseason — although this year’s offseason will surely be shorter too.

But he shot better than could be expected too.

He shot 47 percent from two, 25 percent from three, and 72 percent from the line. There’s room for improvement.

If Fultz can get all of these numbers up, he will be one the cornerstones of the franchise moving forward and one of the more promising young guards in the league.

Breakout opportunity

So why will Markelle Fultz’s breakout come during the NBA’s restart in Orlando? Comfortability and skillset.

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The more Fultz has played with the Orlando Magic and his new teammates, the more comfortable he looks out on the floor. His signature high-dribbling style has worked great to create the little bit of extra offense that the team has needed.

Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic are the perfect bigs for Markelle Fultz’s downhill style. There are also plenty of shooters around the perimeter to kick back out to.

Fultz really found his groove after the All-Star Break. In those 10 games, he averaged 12.9 points and 6.6 assists per game. The Magic turned the offense over to him more, allowing him to increase the team’s pace. Orlando had the top offense in the league after the All-Star Break.

The games will also be played in a comfortable environment. In more intimate arenas with little to no crowd, games should have a more “open run” type feel, giving Fultz the chance to use his best asset — creativity.

Fultz is a playmaker at heart. He possesses a unique skillset to weave in and out of the defense with his wild, yet controlled dribble. It looks frantic, but it is not. He can create his own mid-range shot, get to the rim, or draw in the defense to kick out to an open teammate.

This type of “freestyle” ability will be important in Orlando as teams will be just be getting back in the groove of things. Once the playoffs start, Fultz’s ability to create will be even more important as games turn into a half-court battle.

It has been a long wait, but the waiting is over.

At just 22-years-old, Fultz still has time to live up to the hype of his draft position. If there was ever a time to break out, the bubble is it. Everyone will be watching.