The Magic Insider

Magic Guard Markelle Fultz Ranks Low in No. 1 Pick Rankings

The 2017 top pick doesn't rank high amongst the last 10 years.

Jeremy Brener

Magic Guard Markelle Fultz Ranks Low in No. 1 Pick Rankings
Magic Guard Markelle Fultz Ranks Low in No. 1 Pick Rankings /

Assuming the Orlando Magic keep the top overall pick that was awarded to the team during this week's NBA Draft Lottery, it will have two No. 1 overall picks on the roster.

Fultz
Mike Watters/USA Today Sports

Markelle Fultz

Fultz
USA Today

Markelle Fultz

Fultz
Mike Watters/USA Today Sports

Markelle Fultz

Likely either Duke's Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren or Auburn's Jabari Smith will join 2017 top overall pick Markelle Fultz in Orlando. 

And with the draft lottery circling the news this past week, Locked On Podcasts took the opportunity to rank the No. 1 overall picks of the past decade, and Fultz didn't rank too high.

The podcast ranked Fultz ninth out of 10 prospects, with only 2013 top pick Anthony Bennett ranking lower.

The list is extremely competitive considering the No. 8 player on the list, Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, was an All-Star starter this past season.

Fultz has had an extremely difficult first five seasons in the league. After being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2017 NBA Draft, 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.

While Fultz began to show more promise during his first full season with the Magic in 2019-20, he tore his ACL at the beginning of the 2020-21 season and his season ended after just eight games.

The injury took over a year to recover as Fultz didn't return until Feb. 28 of this year. He played in 18 games down the stretch for the Magic, averaging 10.8 points and 5.5 assists per game.

Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley

Now heading into his fourth full season in Orlando, Fultz will compete for a starting guard spot on the team next season alongside Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs. And hopefully he'll have a clean slate to prove why he was considered for the top overall pick once upon a time.

Published
Jeremy Brener
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.

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