Markelle Fultz‘s NBA career is off to an unusual start. After playing through shoulder pain for the first few games of the regular season, Fultz has been shut down by the Sixers for at least the next three contests after comments made by his agent to ESPN.
Given how cautions the Sixers have been in recent years with top picks, it’s fair to wonder why Fultz was on the court at all to start the year. However, as Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia relays, president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo insists there’s no structural damage to Fultz’s shoulder and that he was medically cleared to play.
Colangelo also suggested that Fultz’s shoulder pain may have been caused by the changes the rookie made to his shot mechanics, a hypothesis rejected by Fultz’s trainer, Keith Williams. Speaking to Sam Amick of USA Today, Williams stressed that the Sixers guard altered his jump shot as a way of coping with his shoulder pain, and that there would have been no reason to change his mechanics otherwise.
It’s an odd situation, one that Derek Bodner of The Athletic spent more than 3,500 words trying to sort out. In Bodner’s view, the statements from the Sixers and from Fultz’s camp don’t make sense unless there are nuggets of truth on both sides — perhaps the No. 1 overall pick slightly altered his shooting mechanics and his shoulder issue made things worse, forcing further changes to his form.
While we wait to see if Fultz can get healthy and recover his jump shot, let’s round up a few more Atlantic notes…
- Acquiring Eric Bledsoe would be a classic Knicks move, and that’s not a good thing, argues Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Deveney, who says a trade for Bledsoe would be ill-advised, suggests the club appears satisfied to be patient with its rebuild and avoid a deal for now.
- Without Carmelo Anthony on the roster to provide “automatic offense,” the Knicks are struggling this season to adjust to Jeff Hornacek‘s new, post-triangle offense, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.
- In a separate article for The New York Post, Berman explores what Willy Hernangomez has to do to get back into the Knicks‘ rotation. Berman also notes that Joakim Noah will certainly have a role when he returns from his suspension, further crowding the frontcourt picture.
- Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca takes an in-depth look at Delon Wright‘s path to the NBA and has development into a reliable bench player for the Raptors. As Grange notes, Toronto’s confidence in Wright – who will be extension-eligible in the 2018 offseason – allowed the team to trade backup point guard Cory Joseph to Indiana this summer.
As they say at my job sites… Bryan – If Bleeping up were a crime, you’d be doing life.
I mean, at this stage, you can’t believe any word that comes out of his mouth. You couldn’t before but now its blatantly obvious. WWHD…
Hernangomez will not improve if he isn’t getting minutes. So it’s up to the Knicks management to solve the log jam issue. A issue that’s only going to get worse after nine more games, with the return of Noah. Until the Knicks solve that issue and trade away at least one of their bigs, Hernangomez will not get better. To include Hernangomez in any trade would be stupid. But this is the Knicks we are talking about.
The Knicks rotations should be as follows:
Starters- Ntilikina, Lee, Beasley, Porzingis, Kanter. This lineup does feed Ntilikina to the wolves but at least he’ll get the playing time needed. Lee is qualified to assist with running the offense while Ntilikina gets adjusted. Also, this lineup would be best for Porzingis as the primary scoring option, with Kanter, Lee, and Beasley providing necessary scoring.
Second unit: Sessions, Hardaway Jr, Thomas/McDermot (depending on the opposing lineup), Hernangomez, O’Quinn. If/when Ntilikina gets in foul trouble or is getting beat on defense, then Sessions should be the first guard off the bench. Through the first three games, Hardaway Jr has not proven that he deserves to start over Lee. He has been struggling from the field and his defense is sub par. Playing Hernangomez at the four gives this lineup two defensive minded,rebounding bigs that can also provide offense, when paired with O’Quinn. The lineup will be slow but with Sessions running the point it will be slow no matter what.
That should be Hornacecks ten man rotation. This way the Knicks can develop their youth while they try and figure out the logjams at the five and point. At least one big needs to go and one pg. There is no need for the Knicks to have Jack, Baker, and Ntilikina as backups. If Ntilikina is the future, let him start. If the Knicks are high on Baker, then they should cut Jack. If Hernangomez is the future, they need to trade O’Quinn or Kanter. Trading away their youth and or first rounders for anyone would be a sign that the Knicks are up to their same old thought process that has had the Knicks franchise viewed as a laughingstock.
Ntilikina, Hardaway, Lee, Beasley, Porzingis
Thomas, Kanter, Baker, Sessions, McDermott/Kuzminaskas, O’Quinn/Hernangomez
No wing depth, and very little defense or balance on the floor, but that’s probably the best way to go
You won’t be able to trade Kanter, by the way…
That’s right. No other idiot GM’s out there. The Knicks cover that area quite well…
Sixers got robbed. Best of the three went #2 and #3, and also gave up their Lakers pick next year.
Should’ve taken Ball. And Tatum would’ve been nice, too.