Markelle Fultz struggled with injuries throughout her early career, but finally seemed to have turned the corner with the Orlando Magic. Since he was acquired in the 2019 negotiation deadline, Fultz has been appointed full-time owner of Orlando and this season he has averaged a high of 14.3 points per game. If his number of pitches had improved, he might even have been a candidate for More Improved Player.
But all of that is in jeopardy now, after Fultz suffered a rupture in his left ACL in Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He will now miss the rest of the 2020-21 season, the team announced. Fultz was going to the basket when he planted his left leg and fell to the ground. He was unable to put pressure on his leg when he left the game.
Fultz has dealt with minor knee injuries in the past, but the problem that ruined his first two NBA seasons was with his shoulder. Fultz was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, which apparently played a role in his struggles as a sniper.
But Fultz was resolving these issues in Orlando. He never became a good, or even average, shooter, but he is so athletic and a ball handler so dynamic that he managed to find other ways to maintain his productivity. It took a lot of work for Fultz to become an NBA point guard after everything he went through in Philadelphia. He went on to become a reliable initiator. But now his return may be in serious trouble, and Orlando, also dealing with Jonathan Isaac’s absence due to a torn ACL, faces a very uncertain future.