USA Today
Magic PG Markelle Fultz: Top Option to Fill Gary Harris Void?
ORLANDO - With Gary Harris suffering a torn meniscus earlier this week, the Orlando Magic will look for the best way to fill that void at the start of the upcoming season.
The player that’s most-likely to fill that void is one that’s no stranger to bouncing back from a history of knee injuries — sixth-year guard Markelle Fultz.
Over his first five seasons, Fultz has played in just 131 games, averaging 10.9 points, 4.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds per contest.
During his first two seasons with the 76ers, thoracic outlet syndrome limited Fultz to just 33 games with the team. His injuries made him look like a shell of the player we saw dominate the Pac-12.
Fultz showed immense promise in his first full season with the Magic, playing 72 games while averaging 12.1 points, 5.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds in the first fully healthy season of his career.
The team rewarded Fultz for that season with a three-year, $50 million extension in December 2020 … but unfortunately, his injury history caught up with him yet again, as he tore his ACL in January 2021 to end his season after just eight games.
In the 18 games he appeared in last season, Fultz showed exactly why he was taken No. 1 overall in 2017 — most notably with his finishing ability around the basket.
The 24 year old shot 93 percent on reverse layups over those games, along with 72 percent overall when attacking the basket, which ranked in the 98th percentile among NBA guards. Only 19 percent of those baskets came off of assists, which placed Fultz in the 100th percentile.
At a whopping +6500 underdog to win the 2023 Most Improved Player award according to FanDuel, Fultz will look to take advantage of the first fully healthy offseason of his career with Harris out indefinitely.
Follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard
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