Markelle Fultz is one of the most singular players in the entire NBA. After shooting 41% from 3 in college, a rare (and misdiagnosed) shoulder injury forced him to adjust his game - but his ability to make plays both offensively and defensively has helped resurrect his career in Orlando, where he put up 14/6/4 this past season. Despite making only 31% from the perimeter, Fultz uses craft, power, and creativity to convert a scorching 69% from the rim - TK percentile among guards, according to Cleaning the Glass.
Per CtG, Markelle took 40% of all his shots around the rim (only four guards - Ayo Dosunmu, Russell Westbrook, Terrence Mann, and Dennis Smith Jr - attempted a higher percentage of their shots at the rim. Fultz was third among those guys in rim accuracy at 65% (only the likes of Bradley Beal, Terrence Mann, Donovan Mitchell, Jordan Poole, and Tyrese Haliburton were in Kelle's range of shots attempted at the rim).
Fultz plays with such a ferocity and physicality that it doesn’t matter that defenses know the three pointer isn’t a prominent shot in his arsenal. The former DeMatha Stag simply knows how to change speed and change direction enough to dislodge you with his size and strength. The foundation of everything he does is his footwork and it is so fundamentally sound that defenses can take option A and option B away but the only option you end up seeing is him getting a bucket. Markelle will make you move with his size and strength but the length and his well-timed strides will make you lose your mind. His craftiness and creativity are on display on his forays to the rack. He uses the 6’10" wingspan to get his shot over, around, or through you - so whether he’s pulling up, stepping through, stride stopping, or side stepping, Kelle is showing more and more that he’s going to get his shot off regardless of how you play.
All clips from 22/23 season-
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