Orlando Magic point guard Markelle Fultz is on the verge of
making his season debut.
After missing training camp and the first 19 games of the season
due a fractured big toe, Fultz has been upgraded to questionable
for Sunday's contest against the Philadelphia 76ers.
In a recent interview with Khobi Price of the Orlando
Sentinel, Fultz revealed that he is pain-free. It seems the
Magic are just being cautious with the former No. 1 overall
pick.
"If it was up to me, I’d be playing right now because I don’t
feel anything," Fultz told Price. "I haven’t felt anything
for a minute so it’s kind of weird because I didn’t feel anything
before my last scan, and then it came back it healed some but not
to their liking. So hopefully this next scan is fully healed and
I’m able to get the green light to get a few practices under my
belt and go out there and play.”
Fultz has played in just 26 games over the last two seasons due
to a number of injuries, including a torn ACL. However, when
healthy, the 24-year-old has been a productive floor general for
Orlando.
Over that two-year span, he has averaged 11.5 points, 5.5
assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals, while shooting 44.4% from the
field, 24.2% from three-point range and 84.0% from the free-throw
line.
This season, the Magic have an exciting young core that's a lot
of fun to watch — led by Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Wendell
Carter Jr., Bol Bol and Jalen Suggs. However, their biggest
weakness has been their lack of consistent guard play, so they're
looking forward to the return of Fultz. Suggs is also questionable
versus Philadelphia, as he's been dealing with right ankle
soreness.
Orlando is currently 5-14, which is the second-worst record in
the Eastern Conference. They have the NBA's 21st-ranked offense
(scoring 107.7 points per 100 possessions) and 22nd-ranked defense
(allowing 110.8 points per 100 possessions). However, the team has
a ton of potential, as their roster features 11 players who are
age-24 or younger.