76ers' Brown: Decision on Fultz's return needs to be made soon

Philadelphia 76ers fans should know sooner than later whether they'll see the No. 1 pick again this year.

Speaking to reporters Friday, 76ers head coach Brett Brown said he has no idea if Markelle Fultz will suit up again this season with only 15 games remaining, but he does expect the point guard and the team's medical staff to decide one way or another in the near future.

"I truly don't know. ... We see him getting better. This decision we're speaking of will be generated very much in a collaborative spirit, led by him," Brown said, according to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia. "We have medical people, we have coaches, we have Markelle Fultz the player; it's all kind of fluid.

"I think at some point soon, a decision is going to have to be made so that we can progress forward."

The top pick from June's draft has been struggling with a bothersome shoulder issue that's plagued his shooting form. After playing in the first four games of the year, the team shut Fultz down indefinitely in order to allow him to heal, diagnosing the problem as a scapular muscle imbalance in his right shoulder.

Philadelphia has reportedly even resorted to virtual reality in an effort to repair his once-smooth shooting stroke. It's unclear if Fultz and the Sixers followed through on that approach, though Fultz's jumper did appear more streamlined in shootaround Friday.

Currently sixth in the Eastern Conference at 37-30, the 76ers are already a near-lock to make the playoffs. Getting back a healthy Fultz, however, could make them a difficult lower seed to handle in the first round.