In terms of on-court production, it’s fair to say that Furkan Korkmaz has been the most inconsistent of any Philadelphia 76ers regular rotation player this season. That’s what should make the subject of this article so scary for the Sixers and their fan base.
Whether or not, fans want to come to terms with it, the reality is that the franchise needs Korkmaz now more than ever. It’s a scary thought to have but a real one considering what occurred at the trade deadline.
The Philadelphia 76ers need Korkmaz’s shooting now more than ever.
When trade for James Harden went down, the 76ers gave up more than disgruntled former All-Star Ben Simmons. They sent a vaulable backup center in Andre Drummond, two second round pick, and Seth Curry.
The latter is one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA. His brother Stephen Curry is easily the best shooter of all-time. Seth Curry is still a highly efficent shooter that gets a lot of attention on offense.
With Curry gone, the Sixers are missing an elite shooter in their closing lineup. Harden, Tobias Harris, and Tyrese Maxey aren’t bad shooters and they should garner plenty of attention, but they alone won’t fill the void left by Curry. The Sixers need a sharpshooter in their closing lineups.
Matisse Thybulle is a defensive player who’s best offensive attribute is getting backdoor cuts for dunks on offense. Danny Green can’t be relied on for consistent minutes or a big offensive role at this point in his career. Isaiah Joe still hasn’t cracked head coach Doc Rivers’ rotation. Lastly, Shake Milton isn’t a spot up shooter on a regular basis.
That leaves Korkmaz, who is having his worst year shooting from deep since his rookie and he’s currently shooting 29.8 percent on 3-pointers. He started the season very hot but has struggled with his accuracy for most of this year. However, it should be noted that in the month of February, he’s shot 43.8 percent from deep. That’s the best percentage of any month this season.
Hopefully, Korkmaz can continue to turn things around and become the sharpshooter the Philadelphia 76ers need him to be this season with their new dynamic duo in Harden and Joel Embiid.