Fultz happy to play for coach that won't just 'tell you what you want to hear'

Markelle Fultz was gifted a fresh start after the Philadelphia 76ers dealt the oft-injured guard to the Orlando Magic ahead of last week's trade deadline, but it seems like the sophomore isn't ready to move past his difficult time in Philly.

The 2017 No. 1 overall pick seemingly criticized the Sixers' coaching staff during his introductory press conference with the Magic on Thursday when he praised Orlando head coach Steve Clifford's honesty.

"It just excites me to know that I have a coach that's going to push you to be better and not just going to tell you what you want to hear," Fultz said.

Fultz remains sidelined after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, limiting his ability to raise his arms and essentially damaging his ability to shoot the basketball.

"It's hard to lift up your arms, you lose feeling in your fingers," Fultz said about the injury. "You can't tell when it's going to happen. It's not like you do the same motion every time. You get tingling in your fingers, numbness. Stuff like that.

"It was just hard to describe to a lot of people. If you've never been through it, you're not going to know. But if you talk to anybody who has (thoracic outlet syndrome), they'll tell you it changes your life dramatically."

Fultz, 20, appeared in just 33 games through his one-and-a-half year tenure in Philadelphia. He's averaging 8.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists through 19 appearances this season.