Magic PG Markelle Fultz is 'Ultimate Team Guy,' Says Coach

Former No. 1 pick and Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz has posted 13 points, four rebounds and 5.5 assists in 38 games this season.

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic has plenty of reasons to feel optimistic heading into the All-Star break. 

After dropping 20 of its first 25 games to start the year, this young roster has turned things around over the past two months. 

Now four games back from 10th place in the East, Magic play-by-play man David Steele announced in Tuesday's broadcast that the team's 24-35 mark is the best record at the break for a team that started the season 5-20. 

Magic Hall of Famer and television play-by-play man David Steele had quite an amazing “Is This Anything?” on Tuesday. The Magic, now 24-35, have the best record at the All-Star break all time for a team that started the season 5-20 or worse through the first 25 games.

— Orlando Magic PR (@Magic_PR) February 15, 2023

And at the helm of it all is guard Markelle Fultz, who has started the past 38 games since returning from injury where the Magic have posted a .500 record with him in the lineup. 

"I'm just trying to do whatever I have to do to help my team win," Fultz said postgame following Monday's win against the Chicago Bulls. "For instance, today I knew that our team needs to play faster, so just trying to push the pace any chance I can get."

In 35 minutes against Chicago, Fultz finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists - one assist shy from his third career triple-double. 

"I didn't know I was one assist away. I think that's just me being in the moment of the game and just playing to win," Fultz said.

MARKELLE FULTZ TO THE RACK 😤 pic.twitter.com/dOrsfAIU2G

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 15, 2023

Seeing a jump in minutes over February, the former No. 1 pick has translated that to an increase in production, posting 16.5 points, five rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals over the past eight games, while also leading the league in an often forgotten category. 

Markelle Fultz is shooting 63.2% on mid range jumpers in the month of February.

That is the highest percentage in the NBA over that span (min. 15 FGA).#MagicTogether pic.twitter.com/FE1NW0qNnP

— ORLmuse (@ORLmuse) February 14, 2023

"He's the ultimate team guy," head coach Jamahl Mosley said. "He trusts them and they trust him. He slows the game down enough that it allows guys to find reads and the right reads, but then again, he's pushing the basketball in transition under control. And I think that's what we've continued to ask of him and his teammates trust him in that regard."

With nagging injuries keeping the former Washington product off the court for the majority of his six year career, Fultz has continued to prove his value when healthy. 

The Magic is back in action next Thursday, Feb. 23 against the Detroit Pistons. 

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You can follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard.

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