A Markelle Fultz injury update has come in from the Philadelphia 76ers. Fultz had to be helped off the court during a Summer League game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night (July 8). It turns out that the No. 1 pick of the 2017 NBA Draft has a sprained left ankle and will be on the sidelines for the rest of the Summer League games. The 76ers are going to take no chances with the star rookie out of the University of Washington.
This is not what Philadelphia 76ers fans wanted to hear about Markelle Fultz, especially with how often the team has been burned by injuries to recent draft picks.
Ben Simmons, who was the No. 1 pick of the 2016 NBA Draft by the 76ers, missed the entire season due to an injury he had suffered. He won’t play his first game for the franchise until the 2017-18 NBA season finally gets rolling.
Will Markelle Fultz be ready to go for the NBA season?
The Fultz injury is getting classified as “not serious” so far, suggesting that once he is able to rest the ankle that the rookie point guard should be ready to take to the court again. He has a lot of time to get healthy and prepare for the upcoming NBA season, suggesting that he will be ready to play in the season opener for the Philadelphia 76ers. That should come as good news to both 76ers fans and fantasy basketball owners wanting to select him in drafts.
Markelle Fultz looked really good during his Summer League debut for the 76ers, driving to the lane on the first possession and scoring a basket against the Boston Celtics. Fultz would finish with 17 points and three blocks, giving 76ers fans a lot of early highlights. If those offensive and defensive numbers are any indication of what he could do during the regular season, then he will easily be in the race for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Are the Philadelphia 76ers good enough to make the NBA Playoffs?
The roster for the Philadelphia 76ers looks really good for the 2017-18 NBA season. In addition to point guard Markelle Fultz and Ben Simmons, the 76ers also have Jahlil Okafor, Joel Embiid, and Dario Saric on the roster. The roster is quite deep on paper, with a few veterans in the mix who could also be battling for some playing time with the young core.
There is definitely a reason that the 76ers season ticket office has been having a tough time keeping up with demand.
While the 76ers won't be in the running to be the team with the highest payroll this season, the franchise has a lot of talent that could take the Eastern Conference by storm. With the Atlanta Hawks basically rebuilding their entire roster, it also opens up a possible slot in the postseason. Is this the year that the Philadelphia 76ers become contenders again? That success may rely entirely on how far Markelle Fultz can take them.
