Ranking every player on the Sixers roster — 10. Furkan Korkmaz
This season, Furkan Korkmaz attempted 9.1 shots per 36 minutes from 3-point range — easily the highest mark on the team. For his career, he’s a 37.7 percent shooter from deep. That alone shows his value to the franchise. With Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons perpetually in need of space, Korkmaz is perhaps the Sixer most willing to provide it.
Time and time again, we levy criticism about certain Sixers not shooting the ball enough. Too often, open shots are passed up in favor of more difficult shots. That is not the case with Korkmaz, who will happily take any 3-point opportunity afforded to him. While that comes with natural ebbs and flows, it is generally a very useful approach to the game.
This season has seen Korkmaz grow beyond his classification as a mere gunner. He has made massive strides as a defender, using his length to disrupt passing lanes and force turnovers. He has also shown more juice on-ball, working out of DHOs and making reasonably smart passes.
Korkmaz is still severely limited overall, but the effort and willingness to improve in there, and his 3-point shot is very real. As long as that 3-point shot is real, he will have a spot in the NBA. Frankly, he will probably have a spot in Philadelphia. The Sixers need to make a decision about his future this offseason, but there’s reason to believe Korkmaz could rejoin the team that drafted him.
— Christopher Kline