When the Philadelphia 76ers drafted Ben Simmons of LSU with the #1 overall pick, it was the conclusion of assumptions that began when the draft lottery was over. As most readers who follow my column know, I was a very outspoken delegate of the “draft Brandon Ingram #1” campaign. You don’t always get what you want when hoping for things. (Ask anyone that voted for Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential Election.)
Simmons was the Sixers pick, and I was okay with it. With time, I’m sure I will be buying my Ben Simmons jersey with a pair of Ben Simmons Nike sneakers and an “It’s All about the Benjamins” t-shirt. I tend to go all-in once I get sucked into something cool.
The Sixers had two other picks though at #24 and #26, and that whole portion of the draft was a mystery. With much jubilation from the Total Sports Live crew, the team couldn’t acquire 7-footer Thon Maker — since the Milwaukee Bucks took a reach on him with the 10th pick. Would the Sixers go after Dejounte Murray from the University of Washington? Nope. How about Deyonta Davis from Michigan State? Nope. The team already has a bottleneck at the forward positions, anyway.
General manager Bryan Colangelo drafted Frenchman winger Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot with the 24th pick, and after the Los Angeles Clippers took University of North Carolina forward Brice Johnson at 25, this happened:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsQ6urdeJHQ]Don’t ask me why Sixers fans exploded in cheers over drafting Furkan Korkmaz in a way similar to drafting Ben Simmons earlier in the night. It’s hard for anyone to explain why Sixers fans (at least some) cheer like wildmen over guys whose name isn’t easily pronounced. Watch that video again, and pay attention to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. His eyes perk up when the crowd explodes. I can only imagine he was thinking to himself: “These fans are crazy. They are coo-coo for Korkmaz.”
So, who is Furkan Korkmaz?
For starters, Korkmaz isn’t a term you’d find on Urban Dictionary. That, by itself, is a plus. When you search further into the interwebs, you’ll find Korkmaz — a 6’7″ shooting guard who last played for Anadolu Efes in Turkey. If that sounds familiar, it should. Anadolu Efes is the team where 2014 draftee Dario Saric has spent his time overseas in preparation for his (hopefully) debut in the NBA this season.
Korkmaz might not sound like a sexy pick, but don’t be afraid of the International flair. He is a capable three-point shooter with a smooth form and release. Korkmaz can also finish in transition, and if he ever competes in a slam dunk contest with the kind of flair provided by a man wearing a Darth Vader outfit, he’ll be a fan favorite in no time.
The fear of the unknown with regards to International players has changed dramatically since 2000. In fact, the 2016 draft featured eight players who played overseas including Korkmaz and Luwawu. Dragan Bender — a 7-footer from Croatia — was the highest taken at #4 by the Phoenix Suns.
There’s a lot to like with Furkan Korkmaz especially when you consider the value of the pick he was taken. Not only is he an above average shooter (shot 42 percent from beyond the arc last year for Anadolu Efes last year and 41 percent the year before), but he is a decent enough ball handler and can take shorter or slower guards off the dribble and finish in the lane with great efficiency. In transition, he’s quick to take the ball off the rim and start the fast break — something that’s going to be fun to watch with Ben Simmons alongside him.
With the pros, there are the cons. Korkmaz is a little small as he only carries 180 pounds on that 6’7″ frame of his. The hope is that he will fill out once he gets into the Sixers strength and conditioning program. That isn’t too hard to imagine since Korkmaz is only 19. He has time and room to grow. Ben Simmons put on 20 pounds in one offseason – a feat that was drooled over by many. (Seriously. Why am I supposed to get excited about someone who essentially put on the “freshman 15”?)
Defensively, Korkmaz won’t be the most athletic guy on the floor at any given time, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t try. He has active hands which is very beneficial when you don’t have elite athleticism. Once Korkmaz puts on a little more muscle, he won’t get posted up by the likes of guards and forwards like Indiana’s Paul George or Chicago’s (for now) Jimmy Butler. Ideally, you wouldn’t want Korkmaz doing that, anyway.
The Turkish product has shown flashes of great productivity prior to being drafted. In the U16 European Championship, Korkmaz was the tournament’s highest scorer (25.3 PPG). A year later, he competed in the U18 tournament (as a 17 year old, mind you), and showed similar talents. Turkey has already named him to the National team that will compete in Rio for the Olympics this summer, so Sixers fans may get a little taste of him on that level. How many minutes he plays is unknown since he plays behind Cedi Osman — who was drafted by the Timberwolves last year.
For the Korkmaz doubters, there’s little that can be said to convince you. You either like him or you don’t. Don’t dismiss him, however. Sixers fans have trusted the process for years, and the strategy was simply to acquire as many lottery tickets as possible in the hopes one would hit. Presumably, Simmons is the big “hit” of this draft, but is there another ticket from this draft that yields at least some winnings.
If you want to see more footage of the kid they call “Dunk Vader”, check out this video of Korkmaz done by Mike Schmitz of DraftExpress.
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