Markelle Fultz Returns to 76ers vs. Nuggets After Shoulder Injury Recovery

The Philadelphia 76ers announced Monday that 2017 No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz was cleared to return from a 68-game absence because of a shoulder injury and would be available to play against the Denver Nuggets.

Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reported before the game Fultz wouldn't be on a minutes restriction but noted that "his fitness level and situation of game will dictate how much he plays."

After receiving a standing ovation upon entering the game, Fultz played 14 minutes in the 76ers' 123-104 win at Wells Fargo Center. He scored 10 points on 5-of-13 shooting from the floor while dishing out eight assists and snagging four rebounds.

Markelle Fultz Game Highlights

The team ruled Fultz out indefinitely in October because of soreness and a scapular muscle imbalance in his right shoulder.

While Fultz didn't have any kind of structural damage, the Sixers opted to bring him along slowly after his first four regular-season appearances. During those games, he displayed adjusted shooting mechanics that looked far different from the ones he flashed as a freshman phenom at the University of Washington.

Before hitting the shelf, Fultz averaged 6.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 33.3 percent from the field and 6-of-12 from the free-throw line.

Markelle Fultz Misses the Free Throw

Back in November, an Eastern Conference general manager told Bleacher Report's Ken Berger that the situation with Fultz's shoulder issue was "not normal" and "perplexing."

Now that the 19-year-old has returned, he should be motivated to erase memories of the early-season shooting struggles that have come to define his brief time in the Association.

If Fultz can do that, he could play a big role during the Sixers' first postseason appearance since 2012.