Markelle Fultz "Thankful" After Game-Winner for Raptors 905

The Toronto Raptors are known to be one of the most reliable franchises when it comes to building from the ground up in terms of talent. They often find diamonds in the rough, whether it comes from undrafted players or G-League talent on the Raptors 905. All-Stars like Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet are prime examples of this, representing the select few players who were able to climb the ladder at this magnitude. 

High-level talent has been known to come from the Raptors 905 for years, but this season, their success has been especially noticed around the NBA. Three players were already called up to standard NBA contracts, including Julian Reese (Washington Wizards), Olivier Sarr (Cleveland Cavaliers), and David Roddy (Denver Nuggets). 

Recently, the G-League affiliate signed former No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Markelle Fultz. After not having the NBA career he had anticipated since being drafted, his aspirations remain, but he’s working towards making it back to the top, where he once was. 

Tuesday night, the former Washington Husky scored the game-winning layup against the Motor City Cruise (G-League affiliate for Detroit Pistons). When speaking with the Athletic’s Esfandiar Baraheni on the court, Fultz gave his perspective on his situation.

“It’s just a blessing,” said Fultz. “I’m just thankful for the opportunity to continue to work and get back to who I know I can be. And I’m just getting better every game, that’s all I can ask for.”

It’s safe to say Fultz’s NBA career was not what he or the Philadelphia 76ers had hoped for. Pairing him with Joel Embiid was supposed to be the end of “The Process” of getting Philadelphia back to NBA championship contention, but an unusual shoulder injury practically ended his career before it started. A player who was once a prolific scorer in college basketball came to the pros with an entirely different jumpshot, one that was simply ineffective. 

He played just 33 total games in his only two years in Philadelphia before eventually being traded to the Orlando Magic. It was in Florida where he may seem to find a part of his old self, averaging 12.1 points per game in 72 games played. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL in the next season and dealt with chronic tendonitis, which led to his eventual departure from the league. 

Now with the Raptors 905, Fultz is looking to achieve his NBA comeback. He has averaged 6.7 points per game over his three appearances, so more work is to be done before the season’s end if he wants to make the jump. One thing that nobody can take away from him is the ability he once had, which was projected to be at an All-NBA level. Time will tell if he can find his form and get back to playing the way he knows he can.