Furkan Korkmaz is hoping to have a bigger role with the Sixers this season, he said in an interview with Bein Sports Turkey (hat tip to Orazaio Cauchi of Sportando). The 21-year-old only got into 14 NBA games last season, averaging 5.7 minutes per night. During the first two months of the year, he spent most of his time in the G League.
“I want to be in the rotation this season, I want to play more minutes,” Korkmaz said. “Of course, I don’t know how many minutes specifically I’ll play, but I’d like to have a more stable role. I think I have something to say in this league and I hope this season will be different than the last one.”
Korkmaz was the 26th selection in the 2016 draft and spent a season in Turkey before coming to Philadelphia. He showed off his scoring prowess in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League with a 40-point performance against Boston.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward have made significant progress in their return from injures, according to Ashith Mathur of AmicoHoops. A source who watched them play pickup games at the Celtics‘ practice facility said both players “look impressive” with a little more than two weeks to go until training camp. Irving had knee surgery in April that forced him to miss the playoffs, while Hayward suffered a season-ending ankle injury on opening night. Both have been training at full speed for about a month, Mathur adds, and Hayward should be cleared for five-on-five action next week.
- With the Celtics poised to add another top prospect to their collection of young talent, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston takes a look ahead to next year’s draft. Boston could have as many as three first-rounders in June and will get the better pick from the Kings or Sixers [No. 1 protected], which is almost certain to be Sacramento’s. Blakely tabs Duke’s R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson, North Carolina’s Nassir Little, Arkansas’ Daniel Gafford and Sekou Doumbouya of France as potential future Celtics.
- The Nets may have maximized their resources better than anyone this summer, writes Jesse Blancarte in Basketball Insiders’ season preview for Brooklyn. Highlights include unloading Timofey Mozgov‘s hefty contract, re-signing Joe Harris and landing free agents Ed Davis and Shabazz Napier on affordable contracts. The consensus among the writers in the preview is that Brooklyn may be ready to challenge for a playoff spot.
No better gm/hc combo in the nba then in Boston. Don’t get me wrong the warriors are the best team out there. But that’s mostly by signing fa then it was trades and draft picks and a hc bringing the absolute best out of players no body would ever think could do what they did last year at the respective stages of last years roster. Lose kd and curry and the warriors are nothing, celts lost there best 2 players and still made it within what 2 quarters of the finals and yes they would have lost the finals much like cle did the fact they did that well with no “superstar” just goes to show you Boston in any sport is a magical place to play and one of the most successful cities in terms of winning across all major sports.
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I remember when Olynik twisted Love’s arm out of his shoulder and Boston’s now-#1 guy was out for something– that is part of Irving’s profile– and the Cavs won the conference anyway.
I’ll watch the Cavs from here on in. I’ll never stop loving Kyrie. The Celtics have a Hoosier profile with Stevens and Hayward being from Indy. I don’t think Cavs fans will ever root for the Celts because of Kyrie. As an outsider I don’t understand why they are so upset because Kyrie left. He played through the worst teams in NBA history. He recruited his own team, then LeBron stepped in and created his. Kyrie is in a good place now, Love too, and LeBron is in Hollywood where he belongs. Everybody should be happy, happy, happy.
They could have as many as 4 1st rounders next year. Their own, Sacramento’s (1 goes to Philadelphia,2-30 to Boston), Memphis (top 9 protected), and the LA Clippers (lottery protected). If it happens, it’s not likely they would keep them all. They don’t have enough roster positions. They would either make trades or draft and stash. The top of the draft is projected to be all small forwards. That isn’t a need for the Celtics. Trade?
Trade for sure. I really think 2 or at the most 3 of them will convey. Doubt the Clippers make the playoffs. And Memphis may be at or towards the bottom of the west so I don’t think that one does either though it’s possible. They would have to be better than at least 8 teams and that’s right about where I see them.
If the Clippers make the playoffs, Boston gets the pick. If Memphis doesn’t fall in the bottom 8, Boston gets it. If Sacramento doesn’t draw the top pick, Boston gets it.
Furkan A!
For this year, Danny Ainge, Brad Stevens, and the players are all focused. They have 5 guys that could be all-stars (Horford, Irving, Hayward, Stevens, and Tatum). Tatum says they aren’t about stats, they have to play as a team to win. They remind me of the Tim Duncan led Spurs. Defense oriented and a bunch of guys willing to sacrifice to win.
Zion Williamson is the best prospect for the next draft, the guy is a complete beast, different to any other player, also RJ Barrett looks very good too, best guys in the draft, hopefully they will combine well to take Duke to the championship.
Nets didn’t re-sign Napier this summer. He was on Portland last year.
Blazers fans did not like the Ed Davis and Napier trade for Stauskas. It wasn’t an actual trade but they changed teams in FA.