Welcome back Jonathan Isaac: How injured players did in their returns

How injured players did in their returns

Markelle Fultz

Feb. 28, 2022 vs. Indiana Pacers: 10 points, six assists, 5/7 FGs, 15:55

Nobody really knew what to expect when Markelle Fultz returned to the court last February.

Would that burst return for him? Would he be able to get to the basket at will? What would his vision look like? Would he sync with his teammates?

The answer to all those questions was a resounding yes. From the moment Fultz stepped back onto the court, there was a lift energy-wise for the team. He made those bench units work a whole lot better. And Fultz looked at ease on the court.

He fed difficult passes to Wendell Carter and put them on a dime to him. His teammates were surprised at how he was able to get passes through and there were at least a few misses because they were not ready for the pass.

Fultz too worked well in the tight spaces he was accustomed to. He had the Pacers’ defense off balance in the way Fultz always does.

When his 15 minutes were up and Jamahl Mosley reluctantly brought him to the bench for the final time, it left everyone wanting more. Fultz was just a huge shot of adrenaline to a team that needed a boost as it drifted to the end of a development season.

He proved that way the rest of the season too.

But this return game was a surprising run. Everyone expected some rough spots. But Fultz scored at least 10 points in four of his first five games after he returned. If there was an endorsement for the Magic’s slow-played recovery for him, it was that he was so good so quickly. That it did not feel like he missed 13 months.

That is certainly the hope with Isaac now that he is set to return to the court.