VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision) - It's been said that for a player to make it in the NBA, he must be able to do something in the game at an elite level.

Furkan Korkmaz, who raised eyebrows in Turkey's youth teams and in his early years of professional basketball as a gravity-defying dunker on fastbreaks, is proving that his biggest asset is not necessarily that athleticism but his jump-shooting ability from long range.

The high-flying Korkmaz can play above the rim but also helps teams with his excellent touch from long range

The 22-year-old's talent has been on display with the Sixers since the beginning of the season and especially October 31, when his team won 117-95 at home over Minnesota.

While the game is better known for the fracas between Karl-Anthony Towns and Joel Embiid which led to suspensions for both, for Korkmaz it was the night his minutes went up to 22, he scored 17 points and hit 3 of 8 shots from deep.

Three days later, in the next game at Portland, the Turkey international drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Sixers to a 129-128 win. He made the shot with Damian Lillard flying right at him. It was his third make from six attempts on the night.

He started two days later, logged 34 minutes and connected on 4 of 7 shots from behind the arc before while pouring in a career-high 20 points in a 114-109 defeat at Phoenix.

The next three games, logging 25 minutes against both Utah and Denver and 28 against Charlotte, he hit a combined 8 of 15 shots from 3-point range. In Tuesday's 98-97 win over Cleveland, Korkmaz started, played 31 minutes and hit 2 of 6 shots from the arc on his way to 10 points.  On the season, he's drilling a more-than-acceptable 43.8 percent of his attempts from 3-point land.

"He's playing with confidence," Sixers coach Brett Brown said. "We talked about trying to grow a bomber, he makes the shot in Portland and I think his confidence is at all-time high, and it should be."

But to make it in the NBA, a player cannot be a liability on defense.

"His defense is actually what I'm most happy with," Brown said. "He's sitting in his stance and isn't an isolation pick-on guy all the time. They still try to test him but I think he holds his ground more now than he has in the past."

Korkmaz's emergence shows that a lot can happen in a year.

He'd wanted out of Philadelphia at the start of last season when because of a lack of playing time yet the Sixers wouldn't trade him, although they also did not exercise an option to ensure he'd stay with the club.

"THE WORLD CUP GAMES REALLY HELPED ME TO STAY IN SHAPE DURING THE SUMMER. PRACTICE HELPS YOU BUT NOT LIKE GAMES."- Korkmaz

He did get a new contract in the end. The team believed Korkmaz could give them a perimeter threat after losing JJ Reddick over the summer to New Orleans so in July signed him to a two-year extension.

A crucial step in the development of Korkmaz has been his time with the national team over the years, and especially this summer.

He suited up for the 12 Giant Men at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China and played in tough, physical games. He hit a respectable 38.9 percent from behind the arc.

In Turkey's clashes with the USA and the Czech Republic, he scored 16 points each time. Korkmaz buried 3 of 6 from deep against both opponents, perhaps foreshadowing the type of season he was about to have with the Sixers.

"The World Cup games really helped me to stay in shape during the summer," he said. "Practice helps you but not like games."

Turkey didn't advance to the Second Round after their defeats to the USA and the Czech Republic in the Group Phase, yet Korkmaz has been able to take the positives out of the tournament. 

Korkmaz showed off his long-distance stroke at the World Cup

"It was really important for me and my country," he said. "We could have ended up in a different way, higher, but it was my first World Cup and I think those games will help me during the season."

And they have. 

Jeff Taylor
FIBA

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