When Will Furkan Korkmaz Play For Philadelphia 76ers?

With the 26th pick of the 2016 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected shooting guard Furkan Korkmaz and stashed him in the Euroleague. When will the Philadelphia 76ers see him play in the NBA?

The nineteen year old shooting guard from Turkey’s Anadolu Efes basketball team has three major weaknesses when projecting his skillset to the NBA. He’s young, having just turned 19 years of age on July 24, 2016. He’s inexperienced, having spent the majority of his time on the bench for Anadolu Efes before that team made a coaching change. And he’s still growing physically, so he will likely be unable to withstand the grueling demands of the 82 game schedule of the NBA.

Once that is fixed, you have a Euroleague version of Brandon Ingram. You see, Furkan Korkmaz was selected at 26 in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, a far sight later than the lottery range many had projected the youngster at. The reason he was projected so highly was his incredible knack for shooting the three-point shot.

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With so little experience, his long distance shooting seems to come naturally to the young man.  With so many teams pursuing three point shooters and in the small ball three guard era of the NBA, his stock was projected as high as a top ten pick.

He stands at 6-foot-7 inches, and weighs in at 185 pounds. Ideally, at his height he should come in at about 205 pounds playing weight, and that should be muscular.

He also had won a dunking contest dressed as Darth Vader.  If nothing else, that alone makes him a perfect fit to the Philadelphia 76ers.

While we’ve talked about his weaknesses and his devotion to the study of the dark side of “The Force”, but what upside does he have and what are the Philadelphia 76ers looking for down the road, and when?

He’s the embodiment of what the team is seeking to compliment the skills of point forward Ben Simmons, and alongside Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, brings the offense under head coach Brett Brown that much closer to the Pace Space Pass objective. He has a great handle, shows surprising burst and change of directions, and can make his own shots. He, much like Luwawu, can move without the ball as well, giving Simmons a target to distribute to as he slices to the basket.

The footwork of this young man is to be seen to be believed. His launch to the basket is perfectly timed, generating maximum height and body control.  But he’s raw.  it’s simply a matter of refinement that is the hoped-for result of more time in Europe.

Refinement for the player, and a roster spot for the team.  Right now, the 76ers have signed up back court veterans on a one year (Sergio Rodriguez), two year (Gerald Henderson) and three year (Jerryd Bayless) deals.  With any luck, the team will fill one of those vacancies with the arrival of Korkmaz when his contract is up with Efes.

By this time next year, we’ll have sorted out the front court of the team, and the team will be making decisions about retaining Hollis Thompson.  With the likelihood of Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot playing both NBA and D-league this year, that could spell the promotion of TLC to fulltime in the NBA, and the filling of TLC’s role with Kormaz.

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By the time Korkmaz does arrive, he will be a man with experience, greater strength and physicality, and a more complete shooting arsenal to bring to the NBA.  He will also be a player whose skills never go out of style in the NBA, as he is a natural shooter.  His defense will likely improve, as he will get quality minutes and be engaged in defense.  And in time, whether a year or two, he will arrive as more mature and self-aware.

The Philadelphia 76ers are scheduled for two first round draft picks next season.  Adding Korkmaz to the lineup is the equivalent of adding a third first round pick to the draft.  With five players looking to enter free agency next year, that may be just what the team needs to continue to improve.