Tag: Markelle Fultz

LeBron James and Lakers welcome Orlando Magic before big trip

Los Angeles Lakers will be on the road for a five-game road trip starting later this week and Anthony Davis remains questionable.

The Los Angeles Lakers have one more home game left on this quick two-game set at home, Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic. It’s the last Lakers game at home before a long five-game road trip, tied for the second-longest trip the Lakers will make this season, beginning Saturday night against the Houston Rockets.

But before they get to that road trip where they will be facing teams in the playoff picture and the New York Knicks, they welcome a competent Orlando squad looking to make the playoffs for the second straight season.

At 19-21, the Magic are currently 7th in the Eastern Conference standings and they hang their hat on the defensive end, with a No. 5 defensive rating. A big reason why has been Jonathan Isaac, who recently suffered a knee sprain and will be out a couple of months. Another reason has been the strong defense at the point of attack by Orlando’s Markelle Fultz, who is something of a rebirth after two difficult seasons in Philadelphia to start his career after being the No. 1 overall pick in 2017.

Still, the Magic are making it work and staying alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race. With Evan Fournier and Nikola Vucevic they have [lawrence-related id=24975,24961]two strong scorers who can get hot, while Fultz had a career-high of 25 points just a few nights ago.

Although the Lakers trip has a lot of marquee matchups like the Rockets and Celtics, Orlando’s a team that can pull out a win if you let them hang around for too long. Even without Isaac and a couple of other key contributors.

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Lakers look to stay perfect away from L.A. against Magic

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will look to stay rolling against the Orlando Magic as they begin a five-game road trip.

The Los Angeles Lakers are used to being road dogs these days but that mentality will be tested as they begin a five-game Eastern Conference road trip, with four of the five games coming against teams that are currently in the East playoff picture, starting Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic.

After closing last season on a tear to make the playoffs and even win a game against the World Champion Raptors in the first round of the playoffs, things haven’t gone as planned for the Magic. They lost All-Star center Nikola Vucevic for the last few weeks and free-agent acquisition Al-Farouq Aminu recently tore his meniscus.

Still, they have had some otherwise great stories that have helped them stay in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, which is, currently more competitive than the West. Markelle Fultz has been aggressive on both ends, finishing well at the rim and playing great defense, helping offset a misfiring 3-point shot. Meanwhile, third-year player Jonathan Isaac has been a monster, as he comes into Wednesday trailing only Anthony Davis in total blocks and actually leading the league in blocks per game (2.9).

The Magic are a scrappy team that will stay in the playoff picture for most of the season, but they shouldn’t be able to challenge the Lakers with the way L.A. has been playing as of late.

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All 20 top 10 picks by the Philadelphia 76ers since 1969

Charles Barkley, Joel Embiid, Doug Collins, Ben Simmons are among the 20 players drafted in the top 10 by the Sixers in the last 50 years.

The Philadelphia 76ers have spent plenty of time around the bottom of the NBA standings. So much so that in the last 50 seasons, they have had 20 picks in the top 10 of the NBA Draft. Some players worked out while others fizzled.

1972: Freddie Boyd

NBA Photo Library/NBAE via Getty Images

Freddie Boyd was taken fifth overall out of Oregon State. He had the misfortune of playing on a team that went 9-73 in 1972-73. Boyd played three-plus seasons in Philly and averaged double digits once, going for 10.5 points per game as a rookie.

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WATCH: Former Sixers guard Markelle Fultz seals win for Magic

Former Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz sealed a win for the Orlando Magic.

While the Philadelphia 76ers were on their way to an easy win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, a former Sixers guard was making an impact for his current team down in Orlando.

Markelle Fultz, the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, was traded by the Sixers to the Magic back at the February trade deadline in the 2018-19 season and he is beginning to make his mark in Orlando. He has moved into the starting lineup as the team’s point guard and he has had some big games in response to the move.

On Sunday, Fultz had 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting and he even knocked down two of his three attempts from deep in a 125-121 win over the Washington Wizards. Fultz then sealed the game with an impressive steal and fast-break dunk finish plus the foul when the Wizards were hard-charging.

Fultz still has the support of his former Sixers teammates as Ben Simmons expressed his happiness for Fultz when the two teams matched up in the preseason.

Fultz will make his first trip back to Philadelphia on April 5. [lawrence-related id=19435,19425,19418]

Markelle Fultz has been among the most efficient transition finishers

Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz recorded a career-high 19 points on Sunday night during a victory over the Washington Wizards.

Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz recorded a career-high 19 points on Sunday night during a victory over the Washington Wizards.

The former No. 1 overall pick connected twice from beyond the arc on just three attempts. It was just the second time in his career that he made multiple three-pointers during a regular-season NBA game.

But the most memorable moment of the evening came in the final minute of his performance. Fultz had a brilliant takeaway, intercepting a pass from Bradley Beal and then speeding up the floor for a quick slam to secure the win.

After scoring the bucket, he could hardly contain his joy and let loose on an emotional celebratory scream.

Something worth noting is Fultz has been excellent in the open court for the Magic. He is averaging 1.46 points per possession in transition, which ranks in the 93rd percentile among all players in the NBA. In fact, among those in the Eastern Conference who have had at least 20 transition finishes, only five players have more efficient.

When he has the ball in the open court, he has been at his best since joining Orlando. There are 58 players who have had at least 15 opportunities as the ballhandler in transition, as he did in the final seconds against Washington, and no one has averaged more points per possession on these looks than Fultz.

The guard also has a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in transition, showcasing some effective playmaking on these looks as well. If he can keep distributing that well, he can get into more of a rhythm with his teammates on fastbreaks.

For a player whose confidence needs as much rebuilding as his jump shot, finding things that work well for him will continue to help his development. Orlando will look for any way to reinvigorate him, as it can only help his game.

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Where does Lonzo Ball rank among the top 15 selections in the 2017 NBA Draft?

Lonzo Ball has gotten more headlines than any other player in the 2017 NBA Draft but where does he rank compared to the others in the class?

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Lonzo Ball has gotten more headlines than any other player in the 2017 NBA Draft but where does he rank compared to the others in the class?

15. Markelle Fultz

Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Philadelphia 76ers took Markelle Fultz first overall out of Washington and it did not pan out for them in any way, shape or form. He is averaging a career-best 9.8 points per game this season, which tells you a lot. Fultz played in a grand total of 33 games for the Sixers before winding up in Orlando.

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Former Sixer Markelle Fultz expects trash talk against Sixers

Fultz is expecting to hear it from his former teammates and is ready to respond.

Former Philadelphia 76ers’ number one overall pick Markelle Fultz will face his former team for the first time Wednesday night when his Orlando Magic host the Sixers.

Fultz was traded from the Sixers to the Magic last season in exchange for Jonathon Simmons and picks after a bizarre start to his career that was marred by injuries and he said/she said back and forths between the Sixers and Fultz’s camp.

As he prepares for his first meeting against his former team, Fultz is ready to hear some trash talk, especially from Joel Embiid, as he relayed to OrlandoMagic.com’s John Denton.

We may be deprived of getting the full show, as Embiid will be sitting out the game to rest, but Fultz doesn’t expect that to keep the big man quiet. As Denton noted, Fultz says he’s ready for it and has some talk of his own for his former teammates regardless of whether or Embiid is in the game, all in fun of course.

It certainly makes for an interesting dynamic in Wednesday’s game. Fultz is averaging 9.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and two rebounds this season. [lawrence-related id=19222,19207,17323,10567,10551]