76ers vs. Magic: Will Markelle Fultz Make Debut Sunday?

After missing the start to the 2022-2023 NBA season, will Markelle Fultz make his return to the court on Sunday?

Justin Grasso | Nov 27, 2022

In this story:

After appearing in just 26 games over the last two seasons, Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz was eager to get back on the floor with a clean slate to begin the 2022-2023 NBA season.

Unfortunately for the former Sixer, a toe injury caused Fultz’s season debut to be pushed back. Now 19 games into the new basketball season, Fultz has remained off the court for the Magic.

When the Sixers paid a visit to the Magic on Friday night, the veteran guard was ruled out early, missing his 19th matchup of the year, Going into Sunday’s rematch between the Sixers and the Magic, Orlando upgraded Fultz’s status to questionable.

While it seemed the 24-year-old could make his season debut against the Sixers on Sunday, Fultz isn't quite ready to return to floor just yet. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Fultz was ruled out on Sunday.

Following a 19-game stint in Philadelphia during the 2018-2019 season, Fultz was traded to the Magic so he could get a fresh start. Considering Fultz was still dealing with a shoulder issue, the young guard didn’t debut with the Magic until the following year.

During the 2019-2020 season, Fultz started in 60 of the 72 games he played with the Magic. The former first-overall pick averaged 12 points while shooting 47 percent from the floor. He also produced five assists per game.

The following year, Fultz was on track to have a similarly successful season, as he put up 12 points per game while averaging five assists. Unfortunately, a knee injury cut his season short after just eight games. The next season, a similar injury happened and took Fultz off the court 18 games into the year.

Fultz's season debut seems to be coming soon, but it won't happen just yet on Sunday.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

Published Nov 27, 2022

JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA