PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown thinks so highly of Markelle Fultz – both as a person and a player – that he said he will be rooting for the 20-year-old point guard even though he is now a member of the Orlando Magic.
Fultz, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, was acquired by the Magic in a deal with the Sixers just before the NBA’s trade deadline hit last month. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Fultz was available because he has been hindered for two seasons by wrist and shoulder injuries. He has played just 33 NBA games – 14 as a rookie and 19 this season – because of a right shoulder malady determined to be thoracic outlet syndrome, which is an impingement issue in either the blood vessels or nerves that run through a specific space between the neck and shoulders.