Despite the Magic’s narrow loss to the Hawks last night (125-126), which also ended the Floridians’ six-game winning streak, Markelle Fultz stood out, continuing the momentum of a rather strong December until Now. What to be optimistic about the future?
While Mickey’s friends were defeated by a burning Trae Young that not even Adil Rami and his legendary fire extinguisher could put out, it was Markelle Fultz who finished as the team’s top scorer with 24 points (shooting 11/19 including 2/3 from Disneyland). For the former Sixer it is a good performance, which places him just two units from his career best, achieved in December 2020. It is also the confirmation of a solid month of December during which, after missing the first month and a half of competition (toe), he quickly reinstalled himself as the starting point guard upon his return, taking advantage of Jalen Suggs’ injury and Jamahl Mosley’s desire to use his Cole Anthony offensive qualities off the bench. Still, if not always constant (think of his 20 points scored against the Bucks followed by a… 1 pawn game against the Clippers), Fultz is an important player in the Magic’s good dynamic, who coincidentally has a positive record ( 6 -5) from the return to the courts of the former University of Washington. But if we talk about returning it is because unfortunately there was an absence.
And this is the drama of the leader’s career so far: injuries, again and again. After recurring shoulder problems soured his Pennsylvania debut, Kelle seemed on the road to recovery in his rookie season (2019-20) in Orlando, which remains to this day the only one in which the first pick of the 2017 Draft has played over 20 games – before being let down by his knee at the start of the next exercise. Two and a half years after the only full season of his career, already five years after his draft ahead of Jayson Tatum, De’Aaron Fox, Lauri Markkanen, Donovan Mitchell or even Bam Adebayo, the former prodigy will finally be able to continue and show its qualities with regularity? He will definitely not leave the impression of a big mess.
If the talent is still there and Markelle Fultz manages to demonstrate it intermittently, however, it is the consistency that will make the difference in the future. But with her performances over the last few weeks, we can tell there’s still hope, right?
