Markelle Fultz’s shooting hasn’t looked right since before the beginning of the season, and questions lingered on if the Sixers should have explored his shoulder problems more vigorously before letting him play.
Now his injury has worsened and the Sixers are shutting him down indefinitely. Here is the statement from the Sixers:
The Sixers just announced that Markelle Fultz is "out indefinitely with soreness and scapular muscle imbalance." (h/t @johnschuhmann) pic.twitter.com/WG9S6udjf9
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 29, 2017
The Sixers traded up to draft Fultz number 1, so it’s surprising that they were not more cautious with their prized commodity. The Sixers were very cautious with both Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, who both sat out entire seasons before being cleared to play. It just doesn’t make sense that the Sixers would not take the same extra precautions with Fultz, especially since there is no immediate need to add Fultz with both Embiid and Simmons playing well. Hopefully, there are no long-term consequences for Fultz and the Sixers.