It was a little more than a month-and-a-half ago, with the passing of the trade deadline, that Sixers general manager Bryan Colangelo stood before a gathering of Philadelphia media and — having made no trades that needed discussing — withstood a barrage of questions on the uncertain status of No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz, who had not taken the court for Philadelphia since October.
It was an unsatisfying session, Colangelo leading his first answer by suggesting Fultz could be back on the floor "soon" and quickly pointing out "there’s a chance that he’s not going to play this year."
That was another layer to what will rank as one of the most bizarre entrances by a top pick into any major sport, Fultz’s ailment termed a "scapular imbalance" that led to a "lack of muscle control" and required that Fultz, essentially, learn how to shoot again. There was also the concession on Colangelo’s part that there was a mental component to Fultz’s struggles.
MORE: 76ers cruise past Nuggets in Fultz's return
But on Monday against Denver, for 14 minutes of game action, all of that was swept away. Early in the day came the surprising and unceremonious announcement that Fultz would be returning that night. Then, it happened.
At 2:54 of the first quarter, for the first time in 68 games, Fultz checked in for the Sixers, backed by a raucous chant of support from the home crowd.
Markelle Fultz checks in for the first time in his return and gets a standing ovation 🙌 pic.twitter.com/hEsnC4UKf7
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) March 26, 2018
By the end of the game, with Fultz scoring 10 points with eight assists and four rebounds in 14 minutes, no one seemed to remember what a scapular imbalance was — least of all Fultz, who refused to answer reporters’ questions about the shoulder, instead focusing on what happened on the floor.
"There was a little bit of excitement," Fultz told reporters. "And a little bit of, ‘I have to help the team. I don’t want to let the team down.’ Once I stepped out there on the floor, it felt great to be back out there with my brothers."
Beyond Fultz himself, there could be no deeper sigh of relief than from Colangelo. His stake in the success of Fultz is enormous. He traded up from No. 3 to No. 1 last spring to acquire Fultz, giving Boston a crack at the Lakers’ pick this year or the Kings’ pick next year to get there. While Fultz became a punchline as video of him struggling even to shoot the ball cropped up on the web, the guy the Celtics took third — Jayson Tatum — has been a starter and a potential star from Opening Night.
Around most of the league, Colangelo has a good reputation. He built the Steve Nash-led Suns teams of the mid-2000s, committing to a style of play that would revolutionize the game. He did not match the same level of success in Toronto, but by the time he stepped down from the franchise in 2013, he had left the team with the core of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, anchors for what has become the best team in the East.
In Philadelphia, though, Colangelo is still seen as an interloper, especially by the hardcore acolytes of his predecessor, Sam Hinkie, whose ouster in 2016 at the insistence of the NBA office — which bristled at the Hinkie "Process," which called for the team to lose spectacularly for years and collect top draft picks — imbued him with the aura some martyred saint.
MORE: Why Celtics' injuries could help Jayson Tatum
For a hardened subset of Sixers fans, Hinkie will always have done no wrong, and Colangelo will never be able to do right. Every tweet and T-shirt mentioning "The Process" can feel like a shot across the bow of Colangelo, and a glorification of Hinkie.
Thus there is much riding on the rehabilitation of Fultz for Colangelo. Monday gave us an ample glimpse as to why.
There was the cut toward the basket on a pass from Joel Embiid that led to his first points, a layup. There were two jumpers, one from each elbow, to reassure fans that, yes, he remembers how to shoot. There was a fearlessness in attacking the rim, six of his 13 shots coming around the restricted area.
.@MarkelleF records 10 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds in 14 minutes versus Denver. #HereTheyComepic.twitter.com/dn4HBAiU7Z
— x - Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 27, 2018
Coach Brett Brown was beaming after the game.
"Just look at what he’s been through," Brown said. "It’s ridiculous what he’s been through. He understands it. I understand it... [Being the first pick] comes with pressures and responsibilities and acknowledgements. It’s just such an atypical way anybody enters pro sports.
"Knowing what I know and seeing what I’ve seen, and understanding how special that kid is from a human being standpoint, it’s a good day."
Maybe with many more good days to follow. We know what the Sixers have, and we’ve seen — as they threaten to ascend into the top three of the conference — just how much championship potential is in that Philly locker room.
Embiid already ranks as one of the best big men in the game at just 24 years old. Dario Saric (23) is his ideal frontcourt complement, a sweet-shooting stretch-4 who can handle the ball and finish at the rim. Ben Simmons, at 21, has been at the top of the Rookie of the Year race the entire season, a 6-10 ball-handling wizard and nightly triple-double threat.
Missing among that core group is a backcourt presence, a guard who can shoot and create shots for himself and his teammates, especially late in the shot clock. That could be the difference between a very good Sixers team going forward, and a great one. That was the expectation for Fultz entering the draft, and the reason he drew (perhaps unfairly) comparisons to James Harden last spring.
The one game on Monday was not quite enough to back up that billing, of course. But Fultz looked promising, and in a season marked by mystery, disappointment and despair, it’s a good start, even if long-delayed. It’s good news for the Sixers, great news for Fultz — and for Colangelo, who really needs his top pick to come through.
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