Orlando Magic point guard Markelle Fultz will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee during Wednesday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team announced.
Fultz went down while driving through the paint just minutes into the game. The team ruled him out for the remainder of the contest shortly thereafter, noting he would be further evaluated.
Injuries have been a constant story surrounding Fultz since the Philadelphia 76ers brought him into the league by making him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft.
The 22-year-old played only 14 games as a rookie and averaged 7.1 points, 3.8 assists and 3.1 rebounds while attempting just one three-pointer. A shoulder injury kept him off the court and appeared to impact his shooting form when he played.
After 19 games in his second season, his agent, Raymond Brothers, told the 76ers his client wouldn't play or practice until seeing a specialist, per David Aldridge of The Athletic.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN wrote at the time that Fultz "has lost the ability to carry out and follow through on long jump shots, and there has been internal and external debate about how much of this perplexing circumstance is physical versus mental."
To his credit, the point guard bounced back last season and averaged 12.1 points, 5.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals while helping lead Orlando into the playoffs.
He has been even better through seven games this season with 14.3 points, 6.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals per night.
Look for Cole Anthony to serve as a primary point guard with Fultz sidelined, while Dwayne Bacon and Terrence Ross will likely provide ball-handling assistance.
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