It's time to turn the page on Fultz.

[Bakomagic]

I mean, it looks like he’s taken about a thousand steps backward with that shot.

I’m with Pepe, I think it’s mental like the yips. The way he stops and then pushes the ball is like a golfer or a pitcher who’s lost confidence and aborts their follow-through.

If his “shoulder” issues are back, what would be the purpose of hiding it and making up a different injury? They would, however, cover it up if the yips had returned.

Neither diagnosis (Mental or TOS) is promising. I don't even know which could be "fixed" easier. TOS can really only be managed, and managing includes limited shoulder mobility.

What matters is that, due to this ongoing issue, Fultz will not be able to space the floor adequately. So, he won't be the best option as a starter for this team moving forward.

[Audi]

I mean, it looks like he’s taken about a thousand steps backward with that shot.

I’m with Pepe, I think it’s mental. Like the yips. The way he stops and then pushes the ball is like a golfer or a pitcher who’s lost confidence and aborts their follow-through.

If his “shoulder” issues are back, what would be the purpose of hiding it and making up a different injury? They would, however, cover it up if the yips had returned.

Curious - what exactly makes you agree with a poster on a basketball forum over an actual medical diagnosis by a professional?

[msmoore66]

I mean, it looks like he’s taken about a thousand steps backward with that shot.

I’m with Pepe, I think it’s mental. Like the yips. The way he stops and then pushes the ball is like a golfer or a pitcher who’s lost confidence and aborts their follow-through.

If his “shoulder” issues are back, what would be the purpose of hiding it and making up a different injury? They would, however, cover it up if the yips had returned.

Curious - what exactly makes you agree with a poster on a basketball forum over an actual medical diagnosis by a professional?

As a fortune teller he shouldn't need either to be fair.

[swarlesbarkley]

Pretty obvious that it's both physical and mental. Probably 80% physical limitation with TOS and then 20% mental that he has to shoot differently now than he did for the first 12 years of his basketball life. Regardless, it's over. Glad he got to do a final Fultzgiving in Orlando this year.

Sad story - he was really exciting to watch in college and seems like a good dude. Hopefully he did smart things with his NBA contract money.

[meatwad4343]

Pretty obvious that it's both physical and mental. Probably 80% physical limitation with TOS and then 20% mental that he has to shoot differently now than he did for the first 12 years of his basketball life. Regardless, it's over. Glad he got to do a final Fultzgiving in Orlando this year.

Sad story - he was really exciting to watch in college and seems like a good dude. Hopefully he did smart things with his NBA contract money.

You don't think he's going to get an nba contract anywhere in the league after this year?

[MartinsIzAfraud]

It’s weird because the one random shot he does without the ball looks ok then it’s like he has a spasm via monstars with it.

I don’t think he last much longer in the NBA

[AaronB]

I like Fultz and hope he stays on the Magic, but I think that the move to Black is onward and upward. I don't see Black on the deep bench again this season, at least for very long.

The reason is that keeping Black in the lineup turns Paolo into the play-maker with the ball in his hands most of the time.

I don't know if that is a championship formula or not, but it is clearly the direction of the Magic and the whole team is going to roll with it for now.

The efficiency of having the PG (Black) setting picks for the PF/C (Paolo) at the top of the key is pretty good and I don't think teams have figured out a way to defend it yet.

Yes, that was pretty close

[AaronB]

So, Fultz starts next game?

No, he has patellar tendonitis (also called jumper's knee).

This is very concerning. It is an overuse condition, just like his shoulder condition, which is why historically, baseball pitchers get the shoulder condition and only some basketball players.

If Fultz loses his ability to jump out of the gym, does he really have much left?

Also, very close

[AaronB]

I have been bullish Fultz for a long time and continue to do so. Not interested in the argument

However, his people cost him a ton of money this off-season. I am sure that the Magic had a nice multi-year contract offer for about the MLE or just above.

With this patella injury, he will probably not get anywhere near that number.

Injury prone players should always take the early money and run.

Yep

[AaronB]

I see no reason to think there was an offer pending at any time. This is his early season to prove he's progressing and it's not going well. I think, given his issues, he would've signed anything close to his present rate. I also don't see why they'd offer MLE money, because $17m/year was based on an assumption that his shoulder issues would be long gone and his shooting would be flirting with, at least "OK" levels. They aren't close to OK...It's now or never. But no worries, one of the many other suitors will move up in the queue.

Do you think his nice offer was dismissed before or after they drafted his bigger, younger, better defending evil twin?

I thought re-signing Fultz was an all but foregone conclusion? I was told many times that the Magic wouldn’t be able to let him go if the team was winning whilst he was still on it. I was also told he’d be commanding well north of $20M a season.

Not from me, and I am about as bullish Fultz as there is on the board.

As I have said many times, injury missed time is the most predictive individual statistic in the NBA as well as most sports. I doubt either Simons or Herro (both popular players for Magic fans to hope the Magic acquire) will play more than 60 games this year.

Yet even I had no clue what he was worth, all I knew was that whatever he would be paid, it would be insanity to not ask for an out based on games played in any one year. The same is true for Isaac. Turns out Carter's contract was so team-friendly it was not necessary.

If one looks at the Magic roster however, to have 4 players in the rotation who cannot be counted on to play at least 60 games over the year is a problem for team chemistry. There have been some, but very few winners have that many rotation players who consistently miss large amounts of time.

Hmmm... all very reasonable takes

[Fortune Teller]

Fultz ruled out again today. At this rate he’s going to miss half the season with a sore knee. Not even an injury.

[ibraheim718]

Fultz ruled out again today. At this rate he’s going to miss half the season with a sore knee. Not even an injury.

It appears physically he's cooked. Sad because he's so young. But he got his bags. Orlando needs to play this carefully if they're trying to unload him.