76ers select Furkan Korkmaz with No. 26 pick in 2016 NBA draft
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The 76ers selected Turkish guard Furkan Korkmaz with the No. 26 pick in the 2016 NBA draft.
Korkmaz, 18, plays for Anadolu Efes in Instabul. Over the last couple years, Korkmaz has shown a ton of potential and has built a name for himself. He even won the Turkish League dunk contest dressed as Darth Vader.
Korkmaz wants to come to the NBA sooner rather than later, which could convince a team to take a chance on him.
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Strengths: Korkmaz is a wiry wing scorer with strong athletic traits and lots of room to grow (he’ll turn 19 in July). Although he’s not dunking on people in games regularly, he’s a big-time leaper. Korkmaz has a solid stroke from the outside in addition to some playmaking ability and touch in th elane. He’s been compared to Rudy Fernandez without the attitude. Korkmaz is as toolsy as any two-guard in the draft and makes for a nice upside pick in the mid-first round.
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Weaknesses: He’s yet to show much against older competition, dominating his age groups for Turkey at youth levels but seeing limited minutes for Efes. That’s understandable, as his body is far from filled out and limits his ability to finish in the paint. A lot of his offense has been centered on his three-point shot as a result. He has yet to show much defensively, where he especially needs more strength and it’s unclear what position he’ll play in the NBA. It was understandably an issue in the EuroLeague, and it’s not going away in the NBA.
Grade: B+. Philly picks a third international player, selecting Korkmaz, an 18-year-old Turkish wing with some upside. He’s early in his development and could (and probably should) stay overseas for a year or two. His shooting and athleticism offer some room for projection, but there’s a good amount for him still to put together. Dejounte Murray could have been a good pick here. Deyonta Davis and Skal Labissiere are still around, but Philly doesn’t need more bigs. Korkmaz gives the Sixers another piece with good potential to bring along.
