'I Didn't Even Think He Was a First-Round Pick': SEC Coach Rips Magic Guard Markelle Fultz

A former Orlando Magic assistant too.

Jeremy Brener | May 21, 2022

'I Didn't Even Think He Was a First-Round Pick': SEC Coach Rips Magic Guard Markelle Fultz /

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman is one of the most respected names in basketball coaching. Since the late 1980s, Musselman has lived an incredible basketball life, coaching in college, the then D-League, and the NBA, including a stint with the Orlando Magic from 1998-2000.

Markelle Fultz

However, in a recent article from The Athletic, Musselman had some shocking things to say about current Magic guard Markelle Fultz, who was taken with the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

“Having coached in the NBA, I didn’t even think he was a first-round pick, let alone the No. 1 pick,” Musselman told The Athletic. “But the most interesting thing about this process is how much research the winning teams that draft so well truly do, and on the flip side how little some others do. The only teams who called me about Fultz were the winning teams."

It wasn't the Magic, but rather the Philadelphia 76ers who traded up from the No. 3 pick to No. 1 to select the Washington guard. At the time, the 76ers had selected within the first three picks of the draft for four consecutive seasons, often choosing questionable projects with a high pick.

Fultz suffered a shoulder injury that kept him on the sidelines through majority of his tenure in the City of Brotherly Love. He played just 33 games during parts of two seasons before he was dealt to the Magic at the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline.

Jamahl Mosley

The Magic traded for Fultz given the low price for a player with a ton of upside. It only took a future first-round pick and veteran Jonathon Simmons to complete the deal.

Fultz has continued to struggle with injuries in Orlando, but after recently recovering from a torn ACL and playing 18 games down the stretch for the Magic, the former No. 1 pick enters the offseason healthy and seeks a breakout year in 2022-23.

Published May 21, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.