76ers guard Markelle Fultz is confident in his rebuilt jumper, but he's denying the claims he had a case of the "yips" during his rookie season.
Fultz's trainer Drew Hanlen said in June on the Talking Schmidt Podcast that Fultz had a case of "the yips" last year "where he completely forgot how to shoot."
During Friday's media session, Fultz told reporters he didn't think his trainer used the right word and took the opportunity to explain he was dealing with a shoulder injury that changed his shot.
“I think it was a mis-term in words, but me and Drew have talked,” Fultz said, via NBC Sports. “What happened last year was an injury. Let me get that straight. It was an injury that happened that didn’t allow me to go through the certain paths that I needed to, to shoot the ball.
“Just like any normal person, when you’re used to doing something the same way each and every day and something happens, of course, you’re going to start thinking about it. It’s just normal.”
Fultz said he had a productive offseason working with Hanlen and is excited with where he is at heading into the 2018-19 season.
“Everybody knows what happened last year, so this summer was really just me working to get my mechanics back, my confidence back, my swagger back,” Fultz said. “I’m happy with the work I put in with Drew. We put up a lot of shots, a lot of hours in the gym. I’m happy with where I’m at right now going into training camp.”
Fultz, selected by Philadelphia with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft, averaged 7.1 points per game and attempted a single 3-pointer in just 14 regular-season appearances in 2018. He fell out of Philadelphia’s playoff rotation, totaling 23 minutes in three postseason games.
