Ranking Sixers’ 25-and-under players based on potential

Ranking 25-and-under Sixers — 7. Furkan Korkmaz

While this is a ranking based on “potential,” what sets Furkan Korkmaz apart from the names before him is his floor. The 25-year-old from Turkey has already established his presence in the NBA. He has multiple years of rotation-level basketball under his belt, with a polished offensive skill set and more than enough confidence in his game.

Last season was an undeniable step back for Korkmaz. He shot below 30 percent from deep and looked completely out of sorts offensively after the All-Star break. Now that he’s back to full strength, however, Korkmaz is a prime bounce back candidate. He looked great in Philly’s preseason win over Brooklyn, and his long-running chemistry with Joel Embiid could earn him some minutes on the wing.

Given his age, however, Korkmaz’s ceiling probably doesn’t extend far beyond NBA role player. He’s a backup wing who can hit 3s and punish errant closeouts with his patented pump-fakes and silk-smooth floaters. He’s also a half-decent emergency point guard, but he shouldn’t be asked to run the show on a regular basis.

Consistency is the name of the game for Korkmaz. When he’s really rolling, Korkmaz might be the Sixers’ best reserve wing. At least offensively. But he spends too much time enveloped in cold spells, injured wrist or not. He’s also a terrible defender, another cap on his long-term NBA ceiling. If Korkmaz can channel his offensive strengths more consistently in the future, he will have a steady NBA job. But he probably won’t ever surpass his bench wing status.