Markelle Fultz and the Pressure of NBA Play
Article Link:
"Markelle Fultz Lost His Shot. Will He Ever Find It Again?"
By Kurt Streeter
March 9, 2018
The New York Times reported of Markelle Fultz, the top draft pick for the Sixers, and how he has lost his jump shot. There is a great deal of speculation about how and why he is struggling with the team. This is a big question for all teams because they are all at one time or another looking to draft the next young superstar: Why has such a hyped player lost his shot?
Questions:
Please choose 3 questions to answer from the list below to help you prepare for our discussion:
- The writer mentions Fultz’s youth many times? why?
- Do you believe he is injured?
- What do you think best explains his struggles? His age? NBA pressures? Team conflict?
- Are the 76ers the right place for Fultz? What can explain Fultz’s “ghost-like” behaviors?
- Should the NBA abandon the one-and-done rule?
- Why won’t the 76ers let Fultz talk to the press?
1. I think that the reason the writer keeps on mentioning Fultz's youth is to emphasize how young he is and the fact that he has tons of time to grow into his own. It is also to show people that he is just a kid playing in a league were players have been playing in before he was even born, so it is so unfair to judge him and call him a bust before he has truly been given time to either prove himself or improve his game.
ReplyDelete2. I'm not entirely sure wether or not the 76ers is the best fit for Fultz, but it is not the organization around him that is the problem. The 76ers have a great coaching staff around them and plenty of stars in Joel Embid and Ben Simmons that can mentor and help Fultz throughout his early struggles.
3. I don't think that the NBA should abandon the one-and-done rule because it is important for players to have the option to go into the NBA because even though they are offered a great education most are looking to make big money in the NBA while they are still healthy. It would be unfair to players that could risk injury just to leave for the NBA a year or two later.
1. I do not think the NBA should abandon the one-and=done rule because it is essential for players to get the option to go into the NBA as that is what most players who participate in a college sport dream to achieve. Although they are given an extreme opportunity to get an amazing education these players are striving to achieve their hopes and dreams at all costs. Not only would it be unfair to players it would also be unfair for teams if this rule should be abandoned because with this rule in place, players get the chance to go to the NBA at youthful age rather being older and having less time in the NBA.
ReplyDelete2. Markelle Fultz was indeed injured for sometime, although I do not think he is injured to the fact he would miss the remainder of the season with the shoulder injury he has. Although I do think that the Sixers are being cautious and attempting to give Fultz a year off to develop him as they did for Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, and look at them now both standout players striving for a playoff berth after not making the playoffs since 2011.
3. The Sixers are completely a perfect organization for Fultz for many reasons, with the main one being what he can be after the year off he has had and how much potential he has and what the future holds for him. It's all a process and with that team forming together he will be one of the main 3 players of Philly being, Embiid, Simmons and of course Fultz. He has an extraordinary coaching staff, and players who can help him throughout his year off and prepare him for next year.
1. I do not believe that the Philadelphia is the right fit for Markelle Fultz. Due to the fact that Fultz has to share his point guard responsibilities with the more talented Ben Simmons, he will not be able to develop into the floor general that he is capable of becoming. In other words, Fultz must leave Philadelphia if he hopes to reach his full potential as a point guard and as a player.
ReplyDelete2. While I believe that Fultz has suffered from shoulder problems, I think that the severity of the injury is being exaggerated. Instead, Fultz's inability to shoot the ball has the 76ers concerned, and any additional stress to the shoulder could only throw of his stroke more. Thus, explaining why the 76ers are exercising caution and keeping him out for the remainder of the season.
3. I do not feel that the NBA should ban players from being "one and done." Given that many NBA players come from financially unstable backgrounds and do not receive money in college, those who are talented enough should be able to leave college in order to get paid and support their families. While some may argue that this hurts the development of players, it is possible for athlete to delay their entry in the draft by a year and get hurt in college only In turn, ruining any shot at a professional career. For this reason, there should be no rule preventing players from being one and done.
I believe the writer mentions Fultz’s youth many times as a reminder to the audience of the great, “young superstar” player that he was when he was first drafted into the NBA. The type of player Fultz was in his youth (although he is still very young) is what all the top teams are looking to draft for to prepare for the new generation of top athletes. But, they also mention his youth as one of the harder times of his life, trying to shoot and play like he did in his last year of college. Not knowing if he was to play again this season, at the start of his career, Fultz (only 19), was "on the margins" and hadn't played a league game since October. Speaking of his youth shows how fast a turnover in one's talent can be, and the dramatic effects it could potentially have on what was expected to be a stunning professional career.
ReplyDeleteI believe what best explains his struggles is how fast-moving the entire process to get him on the team was. Fighting to score in their previous games, the 76ers said they became “enchanted” with Fultz’s ability to score and preemptively ended up trading their No. 1 NBA draft pick for him. Therefore, they rushed the entire process and wished to send Fultz right to the front from the start. Potentially because of the pressure, which can be a lot for a newbie, Fultz lost some of his previous easy-going college mojo (and skills). Although it is common for new athletes to fall victim to the pressure the big leagues bring, if Fultz doesn’t get his spark back it could potentially end his career as well as his career’s impact before it even begins. During ESPN's Sunday night broadcast of the game between the Sixers and Oklahoma City Thunder, ESPN's Mark Jones "let slip that Sixers head coach Brett Brown suggested that the first overall pick-who's been sidelined for much of the season due to a mysterious shoulder injury-was having "psychomatic effects" with regard to his notoriously broken jump shot.”
The 76ers won’t let Fultz talk to the press in an effort to avoid the negative media attention. Recently, there has been a lot of talk around funny GIFs and pictures of Fultz practicing alone, and repeatedly missing shots. With this, the coaches decided it would be better to keep Fultz out of the spotlight and pressure as much as possible in an effort to help him find the old spark he lost. Beyond this, Fultz has a tendency to explode over social media, and any avoidance of an in-person interview/media appearance seems best to protect the image of what’s left of Fultz’s career.
I do belive that Fultz is injured but I do think something else is going on to behind the scenes for example he did play a couple games this season then just stopped playing because of another injury. I do think the NBA should get rid of the one and done rule. I know that's not the most popular opinion but not only can it help the NBA teams it can also help the college teams. I think a lot of things go behind why Fultz is struggling but I think a lot of it is pass injuries and where he is mentally.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Fultz was injured but is now healthy enough. I think most of his issues are on the mental sides of things. I don’t think he will ever really heal from this mental ailment which is much more serious than anything physical he has going on. At the same time the 76ers have held players out for an extended period of time before to be precautious like Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons which have both turned out to become huge success, so maybe this is what they’re doing with Fultz.
ReplyDeleteI think none of the above is the reason for his troubles. I think as I mentioned before his struggles have more to do with the mental side of the game then anything. He obviously was being told to switch his shot (which was good by the way) and during the process of changing his shot he hurt his shoulder and with the brake he just forgot how to shoot. This happens a lot in baseball. I watched a Bryant Gumbel sports where a pitcher just forgot how to pitch, and had to switch to a hitter. I think something similar has happened to Fultz something in his head is just off, and unfortunately he can’t switch positions to fix the issue.
I honestly think the one and done rule should be terminated. Players have no interest in going to college. Our goal when going to college is to get a job after college essentially. These men want to be basketball players, so if they can leave out of college and make at least 800,00 a year. I think that's a pretty good idea. The one and done is fine it’s just prolonging a year in which a player can develop on a higher level. It gives them a chance to be better at their jobs.
1.) I don't think the NBA should get rid of the one and done rule. It is a good time for players to asses the big decision they they are going to make, and allows them to develop their skills for the highest league in basketball.
ReplyDelete2.) I do believe he is injured in some way. If he is not playing on with the team and is not performing to the degree that he was, there is defiantly an issue.
3.) I think the reason behind they the team isn't letting him talk to the press is due to the scrutiny of the media in modern times. There potentially could be an issue with Fultz that could be interpreted and spun to do more damage to his career.
I think that the writer chooses to mention Fultz's youth a lot to emphasize the fact that him being put into the NBA at such a young age could be a factor to his current struggle. The author even alluded at one point to how he could be handling the pressure in a negative way because he is still so young. This could just be the author trying to provide support for his claim, or could have an even deeper effect of showing how the author may feel about young athletes in the NBA as a whole.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do feel that at some point there was some type of injury, I think that it is being dramatized to cover the fact that there is an underlying mental struggle that he is going through. Being such a highly acclaimed player and having so many people expecting greatness for you can be a hard thing to handle. I am sure he did hurt his shoulder while trying to change his shot, but there is definitely more going on now than just a sore shoulder.
I think that both his age and the NBA pressures both have a lot to do with his current state. It is very hard to live up to a reputation that you have not really earned yet, and Fultz had to deal with people planning out an amazing career for him without him even stepping foot onto the court. Also, being that he is 19, he has yet to develop or been in situations of this kind of fame/pressure, saying that he only did one season in the NCAA.
The author mentions Fultz's youth because he was a young prospect that could have changed the Sixer's franchise with Embiid and Simmons for the next decade or so. Being a number one pick also makes this a bigger issue as he should have been really good. I believe that he is injured due to the fact that he tried to change his shot. I do not believe that the pressures of being in the NBA is the problem. I just believe that he should go back to his old shooting habits and try to heal his injury.
ReplyDelete1. The writer mentions Markelle Fultz youth many times because he feels obligated to remind the reader that he is only 19 years old. Many NBA fans and critics are harshly criticizing Fultz and declaring him a “bust” already. There is no doubt that their are intense expectation for Markelle Fultz and being that he is 19, those could affect his shot and his performance on the court.
ReplyDelete2. I don’t think Markelle Fultz is actually physically injured. I do, however, think he is mentally injured with such high expectation that come with the number 1 pick. He did have problems in the summer with his shoulder, which he was injected with cortisone, but time has passed and he is “out for the season.” If you look at videos of him shooting, he seems scared to even attempt a shot beyond the three-point line. He also seems like he has no confidence what-so-ever based on his body language. As the reporters call it, he seems like he’s “ghost-like.”
3. I think the NBA should definitely abandon the one-and-done rule. Players are coming out of college and aren’t prepared in so many ways: financially, mentally, physically, etc. If player stayed longer they would be more successful in the NBA and also the college basketball game would significantly improve due to better development of players.
I think Markelle Fultz is injured but not in a physical way, he is injured mentally. Fultz may just not be ready to be in the NBA he is only 19 years old. His shoulder was bothering him this summer but I think they are making it a bigger excuse for reasons we do not know. The 76ers traded for the number one draft pick to get him, and for him now to not be able to play doesn't make sense to anybody.
ReplyDeleteI think the best the reasons for his struggles is his age. He is only 19 years old and not able to handle the pressure from the NBA. There was be other issues going on that we are not aware of but I'm sure his age is a big reason why he's not playing right now. Some people are not ready to go right into the NBA after one year of college so I think this is the case with Fultz.
I don't think the NBA should abandon the one-and-done rule because its up to the players choice. This situation is a great example Fultz chose to go into the NBA after one year of college and he's not evening playing because of reason we do not know. This situation doesn't happen every day but I'm sure it happens more often then we think. Abandoning the one-and-done rule will not do anything but force players to play longer in college. If they were to get rid of the one-and-done rule i think they should increase it to 2 years in colllege instead of 1.
I believe what the NBA doctors and physical therapists tell the press, which is that he injured his shoulder. I also believe his injury was his own doing, as it happened over the summer when chose to work on his jump shot, instead of leaving things alone before his first NBA season.
ReplyDeleteThe NBA should not abandon the one and done rule as it is a good way for players who are seen as dominant to transition from less intense leagues to the best of the best. If they were to remove the one and done rule, they should only increase it to two years, as forcing players to go to college for an overextended period of time may create issues that would prevent the players from playing at a professional program.
The 76ers won’t let Fultz talk to the press because they don’t want anything to get picked up by the press. If anything confidential about Fultz’s injury or contract were released to the public, people could form false opinions about Fultz’s loyalty or ability to play.
Any rookie in any sport wether it be in a high school program or college program there can be some fears and nervousness before playing. Now talking about Markelle Fultz, being the number one pick in the draft he has lots of expectations to live up too. Now being injured some could be thinking he is a bust putting even more pressure on him. I think that the 76'ers are trying to keep him out of the limelight for many various reasons. For one, if he is not playing and has never played in the NBA then he should not be able to comment on the play of his teammates. Another reason is that he needs to be practicing by himself and rehabilitating. If you're a conspiracist you may believe the 76'ers are secretly not playing him incase he has actually lost his shot and are trying to get it back without exposing themselves.
ReplyDeleteI think the writer mentions Fultz's youth so much to really emphasize how young he really is. Their is a lot of controversy about why Fultz has not been able to perform to his best. Some people think that he's having a hard time transitioning into the league with grown men, so explaining that he's young and has time to grow as a player is important to understand. I believe that their is a lot going on with Fultz. Yes he is injured, but I think he is also in his own head. I think that the pressure of the league is really getting to his head. He has many great players surrounding him on the 76ers, and he wants to be the star but is sitting in the shadows of his teammates because of his injuries. Fultz should take initiative and look into a trade. He wants to be a star and I don't think that he can achieve that on the 76ers with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid next to him. I think that the one and done rule is good. It gives players the opportunity to play as soon as possible, and if you are good enough you can succeed in the League no matter how many years you played in college, so the one and done rule should stay. The 76ers don't want Fultz to talk to the press because they are trying to keep every confidential. They don't want rumors and false accusations to form. They don't want it for Fultz or the organization.
ReplyDelete1. I think the 76ers don't want fultz to talk is in order to inevitably protect him. Being a I hyped up rookie and not playing your rookie your is tough. The most important thing for fultz is to worry about getting better and being able to play. That is if he is injured.
ReplyDelete2. I think what can best explain his struggles is his age and matureity. He's only lived away from the life he has known for 1 year. Now he is in the NBA. I think a year of getting deveoplementaly better and maturing will do great things for this yung athletes career.
3. I think the NBA should abandon the one and done rule. I think it should be solely up to the athlete. If they feel they are ready then that should be an option. For some though, taking the time to mature and improve your game may remain the best decision.
I believe that Markelle Fultz is just a young player with a lot of pressure on him. There's no doubt that Markelle has talent, but the pressure of being the number one draft pick appears to have really gotten to him. Ido believe that he is injured, but I also believed he has been given an extended period of time to gain the right mentality going forward in the NBA. This year of development and learning can really be beneficial for him in the future. As for the one and done rule, I think it is time to be done away with. Athletes are giving up their chances of a free education for quick money. This is something they could potentially regret in the future. The money can be deceiving, and if a player ends up not ready for the pros, the lack of a college degree can come back to haunt them. The 76ers are in the right for keeping Markelle away from the press. That is the last thing he needs right now. He should be working and training every day to become as ready as he can be for the road ahead.
ReplyDelete