- The Philadelphia 76ers made a surprise announcement, saying No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz will play on Monday night.
- Fultz has missed all but four games this season due to a bizarre combination of a shoulder injury and possibly the shooting yips related to trying to change his shot before his rookie season.
- Fultz will come off the bench and serve as Ben Simmons' backup.
Markelle Fultz is back!
The Philadelphia 76ers made a surprise announcement on Monday afternoon saying the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft will play on Monday night against the Denver Nuggets at home.
According to Derek Bodner of The Athletic, Fultz is expected to come off the bench and serve as Ben Simmons' backup.
Fultz has played in just four games this season due to what can best be described as some combination of a shoulder injury and possibly the shooting yips.
What hasn't been clear up is whether Fultz's injury was the result of trying to change his shooting mechanics or if the injury came first. Fultz had altered his shot before playing in the preseason and early regular-season games. It was only later that he was shut down with an injury to the shoulder.
Either way, Fultz was forced to relearn how to shoot, and at times it looked like he would struggle ever to be the highly anticipated player that made him the top pick in the draft.