Markelle Fultz never had the “yips.” Why would he? It’s not like Fultz is some aging golfer in a Larry David sitcom. Instead, he is a former No. 1 overall pick about to embark on his first full season in the NBA. Better yet, he’s an early favorite to earn Rookie-of-the-Year honors.
Earlier this offseason, Fultz’s trainer Drew Hanlen characterized the Sixers’ point guard as having the “yips,” a condition most common in golf where players mysteriously forget how to properly strike the ball. Fultz recently sat down with reporters and put those claims to rest.
“I think it was a misterm in words, but me and Drew have talked,” Fultz said. “What happened last year was an injury. Let me get that straight. It was an injury that happened that didn’t allow me to go through the certain paths that I needed to, to shoot the ball.”
Fair enough and the proof is in this gym where Fultz has been spotted knocking down free throws with relative ease, aided by an unhitched release. Last Friday, with the media watching, head coach Brett Brown sent Fultz to the free-throw line to show off at the end of practice.
Markelle Fultz goes 2/2 from the line in a drill. (🎥 @jonjohnsonwip) pic.twitter.com/xpmz1Gijqq
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) September 24, 2018
Fultz has remained adamant that he was hurt last season, not suffering from a weird mental condition. He spent the offseason training with Hanlen in California, working on everything from building up his stamina to improving his jumper, and showed up at Sixers’ training camp in the best shape of his life. That commitment to proving his doubters wrong — especially those hardcore members of the Jayson Tatum fan club — has given the second-year guard a bit of an edge, a little chip on his shoulder. You can hear it in his voice when he talks to reporters and see it in his eyes when he steps on the court. Fultz’s confidence is through the roof.
“I put in a lot of work to get to where I am at now,” Fultz said. “So when you put in the work and you start to see the results, you feel happy. It’s trial and error. I played pick-up basketball this summer and coming in here, it’s just more about gaining confidence and taking the shots that I want to take in a game. If I see a shot I want to take, I take it. If not, I pass it. It’s about gaining my confidence.”
Our insider @GoodmanHoops sat down and spoke with @Sixers guard Markelle Fultz and discussed the progress of his new shooting form. #HereTheyCome pic.twitter.com/ySasGvMr5F
— Stadium (@Stadium) September 26, 2018
Fultz worked out two to three times per day over the summer, staying in the gym for hours at a time or until he felt comfortable enough that his mechanics were in a good place. Brown said the Sixers had representatives out in California watching and maintaining a continuous dialogue with him throughout the offseason. Fultz put up an estimated 150,000 charted and documented shots, per Brown.
“He takes the shots he should shoot and sometimes they go in and sometimes they don’t, but his mindset is money,” Brown said. “He really is not gun shy at all and I think that’s as good a compliment as I could give him. When you put in the time and the shots, you feel good. You feel like you studied and now you are ready to take the test, and he’s done that. He’s put in the time.”
What exactly did Fultz tweak? Did he change his release angle? Well, he’s keeping a tight lid on all that.
“I did a whole bunch of things that I’m not going to talk about,” Fultz said. “I’m happy with it and I’m going to keep working every day. If I came in here and I was the best shooter in the world, I would still want to keep shooting until I could make every shot.”
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