ISTANBUL (Turkey) - Less than two years ago, Turkey were on the ropes as they had lost their first three games in the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Qualifiers. They managed to climb out of that hole, yet the following summer failed to qualify for the Olympics. However, on the eve of FIBA EuroBasket 2022, Turkey seem to have all the belief in the world that this is their year. Why is that?

For starters, the Turkish Basketball Federation made a splash this spring by naming Ergin Ataman as the new head coach. Ataman, ambitious as always, stressed that there is no other goal than to win the gold medal in this year’s EuroBasket.

The return of Ergin Ataman seems to have shifted the momentum and injected Turkey with optimism 

Furthermore, Turkey’s leading players certainly got the message. Not only will almost all of them be present in Tbilisi, but Furkan Korkmaz also spiced things up when he echoed the sentiments ofhis coach by proclaiming that Turkey are about to achieve success.

When you look at their starting lineup, you understand where they’re coming from. Shane Larkin will lead at point guard as he looks to replicate the success he’s had with Ataman at Anadolu Efes. While he participated in last year’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament, this will be Larkin's first EuroBasket tournament. 

Korkmaz and Cedi Osman headline Turkey’s threats on the wing. Both have parlayed success at European Youth Championships into successful, five-year long NBA careers. They are both athletic, versatile players who can help out in more than one position.

Meanwhile, Sertac Sanli and Alperen Sengun are quite the names in Turkey’s frontcourt. While the all-around Sanli will bring his experience, Sengun seems poised for a breakout performance after proving his worth as a rookie for the Houston Rockets. Figuring out how to use both centers might be one of Ataman’s biggest challenges. That task changed quite a bit, though, when Omer Yurtseven revealed he would not play in this year’s competition.

Then there’s Melih Mahmutoglu, who has had his fair share of big tournaments and might be the team’s best spar-plug type of scorer. That being said, questions about Turkey’s production off the bench seem fair. There certainly are others who have had their moments in high-pressure situations. Yet many of those occurrences came in the aforementioned Youth Championships when a certain group of players born in the mid-1990s was dubbed Turkey’s golden generation.

Osman, Korkmaz, even Kartal Ozmizrak experienced Ataman’s first go-around with Turkey. Thus far their core hasn’t gone further than the Quarter-Finals at FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014, which remains Turkey's best tournament in the last decade. 

On the flip side, a majority of this roster should now hit its prime while Ataman is a coach who is capable of managing a shorter rotation and players like Larkin know this well and might be relied on heavily. It definitely could turn into quite a fun ride.  

 IN THE LAST 10 FIBA EVENTS

HOW DID  QUALIFY: FIBA EUROBASKET 2022 QUALIFIERS - 3rd IN GROUP D (3W - 3L)

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