Tear off the label of the parallel champion — the resurgence of Markelle Fultz

2017 No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz was given a team option by the Magic prior to the start of the season, extending his rookie contract through the 2020–2021 season. Many fans are puzzled, why did the Magic re-sign a player who has never worn an Orlando jersey in his career?

Fultz, who was traded to the Magic last season, has not been successful under the careful cultivation of the 76ers for two years, and has also been labeled as the number one player in parallel imports by fans. With the Magic desperate for a point guard, general manager John Hammond decided to gamble his future on the 20-year-old, packing Jonathan Simmons with a first-round pick to the Sixers.

With the world already giving up on him, Fultz's performance this year gradually returned to the top pick of the year, convincing the Magic that they really made the right bet.

regain confidence

Fultz suffered a mysterious shoulder injury during his rookie season, which caused him to rework his shooting stance. His extremely incongruous shooting posture has become one of the most popular basketball videos on the Internet in recent years, and it has become one of the most unsolved mysteries for fans.

Fultz shot an efficient 41.3 percent from 3-point range at the University of Washington, but he couldn't make it in the NBA. Fultz's shooting problem is not only due to a thin shoulder injury, but also a loss of confidence in basketball amid the criticism from the crowd. Just imagine that a 19-year-old young man has to bear the pressure of the No. 1 pick, not to mention that the 76ers traded the third pick Jason Taytum of the same ladder to the Celtics for Fultz. The oncoming voices of doubt. As you can imagine.

When the Sixers traded Fultz to the Magic at the trade deadline last year, Fultz's career seemed to be at a low point. The trade also makes Fultz one of the few players in NBA history to be traded as the No. 1 overall pick.

As Fultz lost hope in basketball, Magic guard DJ Augustin and former college coach Lorenzo Romar offered immediate help.

Augustin and Fultz were friends before they became teammates because they were in the same agency. Augustin also encouraged his younger brother through text messages when Fultz's career was at a low ebb, telling him that when the time came, opportunities were reserved for them. Those who are ready should never give up easily.

Augustin, who plays the same point guard position as Fultz, not only was not afraid that this junior would take his starting position, but also actively encouraged and helped him out of the slump is undoubtedly one of the biggest motivations for Fultz to return to the court now.

Romar, the coach at the University of Washington, also often encouraged Fultz on the phone. Watching his former players want to play but suffered from injuries, Romar told Fultz that being traded would be the best thing that has ever happened in his career. Romar is convinced that as long as there are teams who believe in Fultz's potential, Fultz will prove that he is not a parallel champion and show his true worth.

And the team that gave Fultz the chance to prove himself was the Magic.

The Magic have given Fultz great trust from top to bottom, and coach Steve Clifford has slowly arranged him into the team's rotation in line with Fultz's progress.

"His (Fultz) comeback is coming faster than I thought"

"Few players can combine speed, strength and agility like him"

"He's going to be a huge help at the point guard position."

The team's assistant coach Bruce Kreutzer has also become Fultz's most effective mentor in shooting. From pre-game preparation to post-game review, Kreutzer carefully observed Fultz's shooting posture and gave feedback. Although his 3-point shooting still hasn't returned to his college-level accuracy, Fultz has grown more confident in his shooting, which is an important step toward his return.

After months of trying to get back on his feet, Fultz's moment to prove himself soon came. In this year's 11/3 game against the Nuggets, Clifford decided to start Fultz for the first time, and it was the first time he put on the Magic jersey as a starter. Despite a 91–87 loss to the Nuggets, Fultz had 9 points, 2 assists and 3 steals in 25 minutes of play. Even if the numbers aren't impressive, it's still something the Magic would like to see Fultz play as a starter again.

Fultz hasn't been back on the bench since, starting every game. Fultz's performance gradually improved as he became familiar with the rhythm of the game, and scored a career-high 25 points in 1/1 to lead the Magic to beat the Nets.

Two weeks later, Fultz once again played his career masterpiece and interrupted the Lakers' 10-game winning streak with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. He also became the only team this season with less than 50% of wins and a victory over the Purple and Gold Army. After the game, LeBron of the Lakers also praised Fultz's growth and was optimistic about his future direction. Fultz also confidently said that it is no accident that he has reached this stage.

"Everything I've been through in the past two years has been my biggest motivation"

"My goal is to get back on the NBA battlefield"

"For this I never gave up"

Fultz has averaged 11.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists this year. Although the data is still not top-notch, his confidence is rising day by day. In fact, Fultz's performance has grown month by month this season, with 13.6 points, 5 rebounds and 5.8 assists in January.

Fultz's return this season not only proves that he can stand upright on the NBA stage, but also breaks through the doubts of the parallel champion. Judging from his growth curve, the Magic not only proved last year's decision to gamble on Fultz, but also found the team's future point guard.

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