76ers’ Markelle Fultz To Return From Injury Vs. Nuggets, Will Back Up Ben Simmons

Markelle Fultz finally will be back on the court Monday night when the Philadelphia 76ers host the Denver Nuggets at Wells Fargo Center.

Derek Bodner of The Athletic explained the situation via Twitter:

Fultz will come off the bench as Ben Simmons' backup. McConnell will move to an off-ball role. Justin Anderson isn't likely to play today. Brown said Fultz came in and told him he was ready.

— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) March 26, 2018

Brown says Fultz will play most of the backup minutes at the point when Ben Simmons is out. Says around 14 minutes per for the time being.

— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) March 26, 2018

Futlz, the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, played the first four games of the season before Philadelphia shut him down with a shoulder injury. He hasn’t played since Oct. 23. He’s averaging 6 points, 1.8 assists and 2.3 rebounds over 19 minutes per game this season.

It’s the perfect time for the 76ers to bring Fultz back into the fold. He’ll gain valuable experience before the first round of the playoffs, and Philly plays a lot of bad teams over its final 10 games of the regular season, which should make it easier for him to get up to speed before the intensity of the postseason begins.