Magic Guard Markelle Fultz: Top 5 NBA Draft Bust?

A college basketball analyst weighs in.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 15, 2022

Magic Guard Markelle Fultz: Top 5 NBA Draft Bust? /

ORLANDO - It's been five years since Markelle Fultz was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Just two years into his career, Fultz struggled enough for the Philadelphia 76ers that the team opted to trade him to the Orlando Magic.

While Orlando has given Fultz a new opportunity to succeed, many critics still deem him as a big bust.

ESPN's Jay Bilas released a TikTok video earlier this week naming his top 5 NBA Draft busts, and Fultz clocked in at No. 3 on his list.

"[He] could really score, [he] could really shoot it, and then develop this issue of not being able to shoot the ball," Bilas said in his TikTok.

While playing in Philadelphia, Fultz suffered a shoulder injury that altered his shooting motion and it forced him to miss a chunk of playing time during his first two seasons. Out of a possible 136 games he could have played for the Sixers, Fultz suited up for just 33.

In 2019-20, Fultz had a renaissance year in his first season with the Magic, playing in all 72 games and averaging 12.1 points per game. However, he's dealt with a torn ACL for the past two seasons, limiting him to 26 games out of a possible 154 games.

Luckily for the Magic and Fultz, his career is still young. He turned 24 this offseason and is expected to be fully healthy in time for training camp in September. With a healthy Fultz and a revamped roster around him, he'll have another opportunity to try and shake off the "bust" status that has been placed upon him through no fault of his own.

Published Jul 15, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.