If you do believe in curses, the Philadelphia 76ers rookie injury issue is something that is alive and well. The last four seasons, the 76ers top pick in each of the drafts from 2013-2016 missed a majority, if not all, of what was supposed to be their rookie season.
The number one overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft was not safe from this Philly injury issue. Markelle Fultz suffered an ankle injury in the 76ers Las Vegas Summer League game against the Golden State Warriors.
Following comes from Ramona Shelburne of ESPN and an official diagnosis by the Sixers.
Sixers GM Brian Colangelo says the doctors here diagnosed Fultz with a sprained ankle. https://t.co/1V9eNvNVIQ
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 9, 2017
Markelle Fultz has been diagnosed by doctors here with an ankle sprain and will be treated accordingly.
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 9, 2017
This will presumably end Markelle Fultz’s inaugural Summer League campaign and rightfully so. These games mean little for a player like Fultz so it would be wise to just sit him out. The Los Angeles Lakers elected to do the same for their 2016 top pick Brandon Ingram after he went down with cramps during the Lakers first summer league game. Expect to see Markelle Fultz back on the court for 76ers during their preseason exhibitions.