NBA Draft: Ranking the last 25 first overall picks

Another player severely plagued by injury early in his career, Markelle Fultz’s shoulder issues have limited him over the first two years of his NBA career. After one-and-a-half seasons of disappointing play, Fultz was eventually diagnosed with a nerve issue that had affected his shooting shoulder.

Prior to joining the NBA, Fultz was a standout guard at the University of Washington, competing with fellow Pac-12 guard Lonzo Ball for the top overall pick in 2017.

While the Huskies did not have much success, Fultz was a high-level scorer with the ability to create his own shot. He averaged 23.2 points, 5.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, becoming an all-around guard prospect.

Fultz would eventually win the top spot in the draft and seemed to be a core piece in the 76ers future. Not all was well in Philadelphia, however, as Fultz would endure a shoulder injury early in the season and his shooting suffered tremendously. Fultz would return later in the season and became the youngest player to record a triple-double.

At the beginning of this past season, Fultz was named the starting shooting guard over J.J. Redick, but his shooting woes continued and questions regarding the reason began to be asked. With the 76ers aiming to make a deep run in the playoffs, Fultz was traded away and would remain sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Now with the Orlando Magic, let’s hope that Fultz can return to his college form and become a productive player in the NBA. He still has plenty of time to recover. Perhaps a change of scenery may help him with the mental side of the game?

Career averages: 7.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists per game