CHARLOTTE – The Orlando Magic are going through their most difficult stretch of the season yet point guard Markelle Fultz’s spirits and willingness to battle through tough times have never been more resolute.
Fultz, you see, has the benefit of some sobering perspective after battling through far tougher times than he and the Magic are currently slogging through.
After spending two years mostly in pain, unable to fully move his right arm and forced to fight for his basketball career, the 21-year-old Fultz is wise beyond his years in terms of knowing the kind of mentally tough mindset needed to power through a sour stretch of the season.
``I definitely feel like what I’ve been through is extremely tough and this is something that is easier to fix,’’ said Fultz, referring to the nerve and blood vessel issue in his right shoulder that threatened his NBA career nearly before it ever began in earnest. ``I do feel like my mindset going through this, I’m mentally stronger (because of his fight through injuries). I’ve been through times when I was down, and in times like this, I’m trying to encourage my teammates. I’m letting them know, `It’s not OK what we’re doing.’ I feel like it’s something where we’re beating ourselves. We’ve got to pick it up and turn it around.’’
When the Magic – 21-28 and losers of five straight take the court on Monday in Charlotte against the Hornets (16-33), it will be the 82nd game of Fultz’s NBA career. It’s taken the No. 1 pick of the 2017 NBA Draft parts of three years to play the equivalent of one NBA season because of the Thoracic Outlet Syndrome injury that he continues to battle through now.
This season with the Magic, Fultz has averaged 11.7 points, 4.6 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 48 games – quite the remarkable feat when considering that he wasn’t allowed to shoot any further away than the free throw line as late as July because of the limitations with his right shoulder. While the season has been full of up and downs and far too many injury struggles for the Magic, Fultz is downright effusive in labeling himself fortunate and blessed to be even playing after the shoulder struggles that he’s been through.
``One, I’m extremely blessed to be on the court right now, and the appreciation that I have to play the game that I love and compete at a level that I can is at an all-time high because I’ve been at a point where I couldn’t play,’’ Fultz said following the Magic’s practice on Sunday. ``To be able to play right now is another mark off my checklist, going on this road trip is another extension of that and every game is another check off for me. Again, I’m extremely blessed, and I give all the praise to God.’’
There hasn’t been much worth praising of late for the Magic, who have dropped seven of their last eight games with the one win coming in Charlotte on Jan. 20. When Orlando lost 102-89 to the Miami Heat on Saturday night at the Amway Center, it was the fourth straight game that it both failed to crack 100 points and didn’t shoot above 40 percent from the floor.
Reviewing the video footage showed head coach Steve Clifford just what he thought as the Magic were limping through a night where they made just 33 of 83 shots and only nine of 33 3-point attempts: The Magic played well enough to win on one end of the floor, but again simply couldn’t generate enough points.
``Obviously, the big part was that we really struggled offensively,’’ Clifford said. ``Our defense, to be honest, in the second half was terrific. … The defense was good, more than good enough to win, and then we obviously struggled offensively.’’
With the Magic desperately searching for ways to create more offense, Fultz certainly wouldn’t have been blamed for taking things upon himself more and looking to be ultra-aggressive. However, he has resisted that notion because he knows a big part of his responsibility as a point guard is to toe the fine line of getting looks for teammates while also seeking out opportunities for himself.
On the season, Fultz ranks 30th in the NBA in drives into the paint per game at 12.1. (Houston’s Russell Westbrook leads the NBA in that category at 20.1 drives into the lane a game). Off his team-high 12.1 drives a game, Fultz is generating 5.3 points, 1.3 assists and 5.8 passes a game. Those numbers have climbed a bit in the past nine games (13.1 drives, 7.1 points, 1.1 assists and 5.7 passes a game) since reserve point guard D.J. Augustin was lost to bone irritation in his left knee.
For the most part, however, Fultz has resisted the urge to force things offensively and play like someone he’s not as a means of sparking the Orlando offense. Trusting his teammates, Fultz stressed, is a big part of being a successful teammate.
``Part of me is always going to make the play for my teammates because I always want them to know that the ball is coming whether they are making or missing shots because I always want them to be aggressive,’’ said Fultz, who oddly has had better production this season on the road (13.3 points, 5.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds) than at home (10.1 points, 4.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds). ``The other part of me, too, is that I’ve got to get us a quick layup or push it in transition to get us something easy to get us some points and the momentum that we might need.’’
Fultz’s level-headed mindset, Clifford stressed, is rare in young point guards and the coach thinks it is one of the traits that makes Fultz’s future extremely bright.
``He, to me, is like a throwback player,’’ Clifford said.
Clifford gave two more examples that shed some light on Fultz’s willingness to learn and his eagerness to help out the team. Even though Fultz was unable to practice with the Magic after the franchise acquired him in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers last February, the point guard intently paid attention to all the drills and film sessions that the team went through late last season – to the point that he had much of the schematics of Orlando’s offense and defense down pat prior to training camp even starting.
``He knew a lot of our terminology and stuff just from the time that he spent here last year,’’ Clifford said. ``When we started doing optional (workout) stuff in September, he amazed me with how much he knew.’’
Then, there was this moment from Sunday’s practice where Fultz was happy to help out the short-handed Magic.
``We only have 12 or 13 guys for practice, so when we do the defensive reps, I always ask somebody from the first two groups to jump in with the two or three guys left to get the reps, and Markelle jumps in every time,’’ Clifford said. ``Aaron Gordon does it too, and they move around so that they get to play different positions and they see different rotations, depending on what you are doing that day. It’s a small thing, but it’s why they are well-prepared.’’
For Fultz, it’s sometimes as if he’s trying to make up for all the lost time that he missed out on with the injured shoulder, and for him, no practice rep is a wasted rep. He’s been far too much with his shoulder injury to allow something like a five-game losing streak to derail his mission of improvement.’’
``There isn’t really one thing that I feel like I have mastered,’’ said Fultz, who has shot the ball well overall (45.9 percent) and from the free throw line (73.1 percent) but is still very much a work in progress from 3-point range (25.3 percent). ``Pace of the game and how to control that. Defensively, being a better defender and learning the other team’s offense by watching film and helping out our defense by watching film and asking the coaches for advice.
``Part of that (growth process) is being out there on the floor, making mistakes and learning from them,’’ Fultz added. ``It’s a combination of experiencing things while I’m playing as the games go on and then I also want to get better at making the right film prep, asking the right questions and making sure that I’m prepared for the games.’’
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