Philadelphia 76ers Furkan Korkmaz: Dario Saric 2.0
In the 2016 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Ben Simmons with the No. 1 overall pick. They selected international players Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Furkan Korkmaz with the 24th and 26th picks, respectively.
You’ve heard about the Philadelphia 76ers No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons and athletically gifted role player Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. You’ve probably heard about these first round draft picks because they are currently with the team. Since the draft, however, No. 26 overall pick Furkan Korkmaz out of Turkey has been mentioned little to none. Well, except us, that is.
About Furkan
Korkmaz is only 18 years old, and currently plays for Anadolu Efes in Turkey. He is 6-foot-7 and has a still-maturing thin frame. Korkmaz is a natural-born shooter and scorer, and has drawn distant comparisons to Gordon Hayward. The hope is that he will come over to the Philadelphia 76ers after one more year with the Anadolu Efes. During this year with his Turkish club, he is expected to mature both physically and with his overall game to be ready to compete in the NBA. In the 2016 NBA Draft, he was ranked as the second highest potential for a 3-and-D, only behind Philadelphia 76ers’ own Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot in that assessment.
His Role
Of course, there is no telling whether Korkmaz will even ever come over to the 76ers. He definitely could be an interesting part of the future of this team if he does choose to become a Sixer. At best, he can become a pure shooter and scorer off the bench. Finding time will be difficult at first. If he finds a niche as a knockdown shooter or good scorer, the minutes and opportunities will come.
Dario Saric Ties
An interesting fact is that current Sixer’s rookie forward Dario Saric played with Furkan at Anadolu Efes. Saric played with the Turkish club for 2 years. Then, he came over to join the 76ers this offseason. He may have ties with Korkmaz, and persuade him to come over and play with the Sixers. The way 76ers fans hoped and waited for Dario to come over may be similar to Korkmaz’s situation.
What This Means
Overall, Furkan Korkmaz will not be a bust or disappointment for the 76ers if he does not live up to expectations. He is the 26th overall draft pick. If the 76ers get value for him, than that will be great.
With the hype around Ben Simmons, and development of Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, this could turn out to be an excellent draft for the 76ers if Korkmaz produces. He can score with the basketball, has great size, and a great offensive mind for the game. I mean, let’s all just be glad it’s not Furkan Aldemir.
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