The strange saga with Markelle Fultz's shoulder and shooting form has been one of the weirdest NBA stories in quite some time. Fultz, the Philadelphia 76ers' No. 1 overall pick, hasn't played since Oct. 23 due to a shoulder injury.
But as he nears a return -- which could be coming soon, as he's begun the final stage of his return to play protocol, and is now shooting around with the team before games -- it seems there's something still wrong with his shooting form. Numerous videos in recent days have showed him taking very awkward looking jumpers.
Even if his shoulder is now healthy, he certainly doesn't look confident in taking outside shots. Understandably, Sixers coach Brett Brown was asked about Fultz's form, and noted that he's never experience anything like this.
He also gave a more lengthy answer about Fultz's form, and said that they have to find home plate first, before they work on the finer points of Fultz's release.
Brown's full answer:
When you start looking at what he did, and his free throws, and how he got -- he's a rise-up guy. He's a live-ball, off-the-dribble, rise-up guy. Loading up, and being like, Kyle Korver type, that wasn't what he was. He was a wiggly, do what he wants to guard. And so, when you go back, and you say, 'How do you find that again?'
Whether it's just as a free-throw shooter, whether it's as a rise-up -- cause if I'm 6-5 and you're not point guard, I can just shoot over you -- or it's live ball, people back off, bam, he gets open when people go under a pick-and-roll. How we find what he was, is what I'm most interested in now. As far as like, taking that and moving a hand or release point, or something, we'll deal with that after we've found home plate.
Brown's response is a good one, and it seems like a healthy approach. However, it also makes it seem as though Fultz isn't actually that close to playing, even if he's now healthy. If you're still looking for "home plate" with a guy who was the No. 1 overall pick, that's a definite concern.