Markelle Fultz’s season has not exactly got off to an ideal start.
Just one month into his young career, Fultz has already had to endure being lost on the court, endless confusion surrounding his shoulder injury and intense criticism of his funky as hell free throw action.
The good news is that Fultz is progressing in his fight to get back on the court, according to a team statement, but is expected to miss at least another 2-3 weeks when his progress is revaluated.
#Sixers rookie Markelle Fultz got a good report from the doctor.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) November 19, 2017
Fultz’s soreness is going and away the balance in returning to his shoulder.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) November 19, 2017
The primary concern here is that it was the 76ers who released the statement, an organisation which has earned itself a reputation for saying one thing and doing another when it comes to injuries.
But in this case the team’s public report has come via Dr. Ben Kibler, the medical director of the Shoulder Center of Kentucky at the Lexington Clinic, who examined Fultz on Sunday for “soreness and scapular muscle imbalance in his right shoulder”.
The statement went on to say the muscle balance is improving and the soreness is diminishing.
Fultz was shut down on October 29 to give his shoulder a chance to heal.
The rookie shot 33% from the field and 50% from the line across his four games earlier in the season, his altered shooting motion sparing speculation as to whether the new action caused the injury and or the injury prompted the new action.