5 Orlando Magic players who could shock the world this season
By Tyler Watts
Orlando Magic players who could shock the world this season
3. Markelle Fultz
The former number-one overall pick is coming off the best season of his career, but what should fans expect moving forward? Markelle Fultz averages 31.8 games per season for his career and has only played more than 20 times twice in six years.
He put up 14.0 points, 5.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in 29.6 minutes per game. Fultz started all 60 contests he played in after missing the season’s first 20 games with a toe injury suffered just before training camp. He is locked into that role. But can Orlando count on him to be in the lineup?
Fultz is entering the final year of his contract and playing for a payday, but it will not keep him healthy.
Fultz has been mostly viewed as a bust after being selected ahead of Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, Lauri Markkanen, De’Aaron Fox and the rest of the 2017 draft class. His disappearing jump shot and struggles to stay on the floor have left more questions than answers about what the 6-foot-3 guard can be at his peak.
Is it finally time for a Markelle Fultz breakout?
Over his final 23 games, he averaged 16.7 points, 6.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in 32.4 minutes per game. The 25-year-old should only improve and could shock the world by leading the Orlando Magic to the playoffs in 2024.