Turkish NT 2017

[janketa2]

I didn't point out Dixon personally. He is a good player. But, if you are okay with seeing naturalized players in NT, then there is no point to discuss. Naturalizing someone can be understandable if only you begin taking a step in to that specific sport to make it more popular in your country. We are talking about a sport which is the second popular one in this country and has recently been feeding up with a lot of investments. If you naturalize a player even under these circumstances, it is not a good sign as country basketball.

If you don't have a game changer, then deal with it. Appreciate the others who have them. Try to learn from them. Try to produce. At least try. Sorry, but I don't like the idea that we are being a typical Tier-3 team that lives and dies with the incentives of a naturalized player. It is not about national feeling or something. It is just that I am against of people who are trying to downgrade this team with this meaningless moves.

Also, thinking Dixon would change the fate of this team is not jibing with the truth. He is ain't special as he proved in 2015 and 2016 in NT.

Dixon proved that he is not mediocre in Fener, add to that after winning title this little guy walked around with Turkish flag and I am proud about that
He couldn't prove nothing in NT because circumstances those years, Ataman factor, Cedi wasn't what he is now, defense was owful etc
I don't say he is future of this team because he is on his late age- I don't count on him anymore, but in this tournament I sign that we could win at least one more game with him and avoid Spain.
I didn't say I am for naturalized players unconditionally, mainly because Preldzic experience. But in this moment we lack quality and that is so obvious.

 

[okanial2]

Here are my thoughts, from good to bad

Cedi Osman 9/10 - We said it all. He was the leader of the team, he played near perfectly. However, near is an important word here as he generally chocked in 4th quarters. He is young and he can still develop into something better. If he does that we will no longer be the team without a star.

Melih Mahmutoğlu 8/10 - It would be really sad for me to see him as our second best player as he is a really limited player but I think he played best basketball of his career. We at some point ask him to do things he should never done but he did his best. He fought his hardest. He was the veteran presence we hoped to get in Güler. Even if all our youngers develop to be better players than him, he deserves a spot with this kind of play in NT.

Semih Erden 7/10 - Say what you say against him but he is definetely a different player in NT. He is actually really really talented but so weak mentally. He was our only big that counts in all tournament long and fought hard. I wouldn`t be against to see him again next year unless we got a health Aşık. Otherwise he can show the way to Atar and Yurtseven for another tournament

Furkan Korkmaz 7/10 - The blame is on half Sarica half Korkmaz. He didn`t play bad but except for the Spain game he didn`t do anything too special. He played good defense actually and show some ball handling. He was asked to drive inside so he didn`t score much 3s. He also didn`t have anybody to set him up for 3s. NBA will do good to him.

Kenan Sipahi 6/10 - Great defense. But he didn`t d almost anything in offense. If he won`t develop his offensive game he won`t be anything but a back up guard. He can see his future in Balbay. He is afraid to shot open 3s. He is good when he drives inside the paint but he rarely does that.

Erkan Veyseloğlu 5/10 - He played like a young guy. He come in, did something on offense or defense with his energy and make some bad mistakes a 34 year old guy should not. Sorry but he should never be in NT again. He played his best but it is not enough for a quality NT. Give the spot to a young guy like Geçim or Ulubay.

Sertaç Şanlı 4/10 - He didn`t play in the same level he played in prep games except for Spain game where he got 3 fouls in 5 minutes. If he keeps improving his game he can find a spot in NT like Savaş did for years as a guy who come to play 5 minutes and score.

Barış Hersek 3/10 - He did his best but we all know it is not enough. I wish Arar was here instead of him. Hope never see him in NT jersey again

Sinan Güler 2/10 - What a disappointment. He was one of my favourite players with his hard work but he really killed all momentum whenever he played in the tournament. Maybe he is old now or maybe it was all thanks to Ataman.

Doğuş Balbay - Furkan Aldemir - Göksenin Köksal - If we need to fill a roster spot I`d only take Balbay as we don`t have a PG and he is a good defender. Other than that this players are not NT material.

Ufuk Sarica 5/10 - I`m not as high as others on coach. He made many mistakes with the roster. Yurtseven should have been here. Arar should have been here. Ulubay should have been here. Even the first half of the season was enough to prove Ulubay would be one of the best playmaker in the team. He got 4 technical fouls on 6 games. He got spoiled in the playoffs as Turkish Refs didn`t call any on him against Efes as he is our NT coach. I appreciate him giving the keys to Cedi but that was a necessity anyway. But he didn`t unleash Furkan at all. If he tried to set Furkan up as much as he did with Melih things could have been different. I also liked him being brave and go really small ball with Cedi in the center. He can get better but I think he lacks something.

 

[janketa2]

Here are my thoughts, from good to bad

Cedi Osman 9/10 - We said it all. He was the leader of the team, he played near perfectly. However, near is an important word here as he generally chocked in 4th quarters. He is young and he can still develop into something better. If he does that we will no longer be the team without a star.

Melih Mahmutoğlu 8/10 - It would be really sad for me to see him as our second best player as he is a really limited player but I think he played best basketball of his career. We at some point ask him to do things he should never done but he did his best. He fought his hardest. He was the veteran presence we hoped to get in Güler. Even if all our youngers develop to be better players than him, he deserves a spot with this kind of play in NT.

Semih Erden 7/10 - Say what you say against him but he is definetely a different player in NT. He is actually really really talented but so weak mentally. He was our only big that counts in all tournament long and fought hard. I wouldn`t be against to see him again next year unless we got a health Aşık. Otherwise he can show the way to Atar and Yurtseven for another tournament

Furkan Korkmaz 7/10 - The blame is on half Sarica half Korkmaz. He didn`t play bad but except for the Spain game he didn`t do anything too special. He played good defense actually and show some ball handling. He was asked to drive inside so he didn`t score much 3s. He also didn`t have anybody to set him up for 3s. NBA will do good to him.

Kenan Sipahi 6/10 - Great defense. But he didn`t d almost anything in offense. If he won`t develop his offensive game he won`t be anything but a back up guard. He can see his future in Balbay. He is afraid to shot open 3s. He is good when he drives inside the paint but he rarely does that.

Erkan Veyseloğlu 5/10 - He played like a young guy. He come in, did something on offense or defense with his energy and make some bad mistakes a 34 year old guy should not. Sorry but he should never be in NT again. He played his best but it is not enough for a quality NT. Give the spot to a young guy like Geçim or Ulubay.

Sertaç Şanlı 4/10 - He didn`t play in the same level he played in prep games except for Spain game where he got 3 fouls in 5 minutes. If he keeps improving his game he can find a spot in NT like Savaş did for years as a guy who come to play 5 minutes and score.

Barış Hersek 3/10 - He did his best but we all know it is not enough. I wish Arar was here instead of him. Hope never see him in NT jersey again

Sinan Güler 2/10 - What a disappointment. He was one of my favourite players with his hard work but he really killed all momentum whenever he played in the tournament. Maybe he is old now or maybe it was all thanks to Ataman.

Doğuş Balbay - Furkan Aldemir - Göksenin Köksal - If we need to fill a roster spot I`d only take Balbay as we don`t have a PG and he is a good defender. Other than that this players are not NT material.

Ufuk Sarica 5/10 - I`m not as high as others on coach. He made many mistakes with the roster. Yurtseven should have been here. Arar should have been here. Ulubay should have been here. Even the first half of the season was enough to prove Ulubay would be one of the best playmaker in the team. He got 4 technical fouls on 6 games. He got spoiled in the playoffs as Turkish Refs didn`t call any on him against Efes as he is our NT coach. I appreciate him giving the keys to Cedi but that was a necessity anyway. But he didn`t unleash Furkan at all. If he tried to set Furkan up as much as he did with Melih things could have been different. I also liked him being brave and go really small ball with Cedi in the center. He can get better but I think he lacks something.

It's not Sarica faulth that Korkmaz is bad 3pt shooter. He should improve his technics like Bogdan did.
When one day in training he makes 30 triples in a row then maybe in a game he will not need screen or coach to make some shoots.
All in all this kid wastes his talent(no doubt he is talented), because easiest thing on the world for one basketball player- shooting training.

 

[CoachZ2]

Let's stop pretending that Yurtseven would've contributed anything to this team now. His development curve is not really favorable either. He didn't play that well in NC State and that is against other kids, not even talking about grown men. Arar could've helped a bit but it is also questionable. Also I would've added Arna for the second unit, his skillset is more favorable than other players you had.

Sipahi was the biggest issue, since he was mostly a minus on the court. He is also making quite low IQ decisions all the time.

 

[slice me nice2]

Sipahi was the biggest issue, since he was mostly a minus on the court. He is also making quite low IQ decisions all the time.

Sipahi has the highest +/- average in our team. He is an effective player. As I always say, he is not a flashy player and people will always make him liable under a crisis situation. He has more than what he has shown. He needs to adjust his offense. He can play PnR and has an option to finish positions with accurate mid-range jumper. That's something we haven't seen in this tournament. He can still be a better factor in this team in future. Still early to cross his name out. Problem is underlying mental fragility.

 

[CoachZ2]

Sipahi has the highest +/- average in our team. He is an effective player. As I always say, he is not a flashy player and people will always make him liable under a crisis situation. He has more than what he has shown. He needs to adjust his offense. He can play PnR and has an option to finish positions with accurate mid-range jumper. That's something we haven't seen in this tournament. He can still be a better factor in this team in future. Still early to cross his name out. Problem is underlying mental fragility.

I know you know and follow basketball and please don't tell me you are counting +/- stats to see how well a player is contributing on the court. I didn't say he is a bad player, I actually commented in a positive manner about him during the TBL playoffs and his play in Besiktas, just that he had a bad tournament. Mentally he is weak and still not physically tough which is key to FIBA ball unfortunately especially if you want to be a good on the ball defender.

His PnR has a lot of areas to improve. Yes he has a midrange jumper, but has a lot of problems with PnR reads and making the right decisions. It's not so much about shooting or passing skill, but just getting the right reads and technique in place is still an issue. He doesn't know when to split, when to force, when to ask for a re-screen etc. Those things do come with experience but also you need a really active coach on the position level to force those habits into players. One of the keys to success of Serbia for years in the guard department was always individual coaching. All of our guards are from very good to excellent PnR runners, due to a lot of mental work, reads, technique etc.

 

[slice me nice2]

I know you know and follow basketball and please don't tell me you are counting +/- stats to see how well a player is contributing on the court. I didn't say he is a bad player, I actually commented in a positive manner about him during the TBL playoffs and his play in Besiktas, just that he had a bad tournament. Mentally he is weak and still not physically tough which is key to FIBA ball unfortunately especially if you want to be a good on the ball defender.

His PnR has a lot of areas to improve. Yes he has a midrange jumper, but has a lot of problems with PnR reads and making the right decisions. It's not so much about shooting or passing skill, but just getting the right reads and technique in place is still an issue. He doesn't know when to split, when to force, when to ask for a re-screen etc. Those things do come with experience but also you need a really active coach on the position level to force those habits into players. One of the keys to success of Serbia for years in the guard department was always individual coaching. All of our guards are from very good to excellent PnR runners, due to a lot of mental work, reads, technique etc.

I state he is not 'mostly minus' on court. +/- is not a reliable data to judge someone's contribution, that's right, it changes according to with whom you are playing with and playing against. However, my evaluation was general. Sipahi has a lot weaknesses and never ever can be considered as a complete guard, especially since he lacks defense/offense balance, however criticizing his on the ball defense doesn't make sense. Not just speaking for this tournament, him being on the court has usually boosted our defensive effort and pressure on the ball in Beşiktaş. He has every tools to discourage the opponents. He is not a tough defender as Lazic i.e, if you mean it.

Agree on the second part. He has a long way to go offensively to be elite PnR initiator. But that doesn't mean he is not bad at it. Just average. As Stimac said on one of his interviews after his departure, playing with Sipahi type of guards is making a good effect on his stats, as he is a organizer. Not a player whose only aim is filling the point section of a stats sheet like Michael Thompson. I actually like Sipahi, especially after seeing him playing in Beşiktaş as I have started to follow him more closely. If you ask me to show a player whose effect can't be explained by stats, he is one of the guys I would direct you.

 

[okanial2]

Let's stop pretending that Yurtseven would've contributed anything to this team now. His development curve is not really favorable either. He didn't play that well in NC State and that is against other kids, not even talking about grown men. Arar could've helped a bit but it is also questionable. Also I would've added Arna for the second unit, his skillset is more favorable than other players you had.

I`m not saying they would make this team better. But most of the players on the team are not players for this level and guys like Yurtseven and Arar are young and have a chance to get better. If we will fail anyhow I`d like to fail with young guys and let them gain experience. Before the tournament Cedi was a below average Euroleague player for most people here. Would you still say the same now? I`d be happier to see young guys on the bench instead of Hersek or Aldemir

 

[janketa2]

Sipahi is an average player and he will probably stay at that level very long. I am not sure that he ever heard for individual coaching, just like Korkmaz and many other players. I was impressed with his skillset and talent three years ago(regarding his age of course), but he stayed at almost the same level until now. We are talking about player who was starter in semifinal of the most important league after NBA.
I am not expert like Coach and I will not analyze his PnR game etc but I see what I see, his creativity is around zero, assist column almost empty and shooting like throwing bricks.
We need better pg in the future

 

[slice me nice2]

Dixon proved that he is not mediocre in Fener, add to that after winning title this little guy walked around with Turkish flag and I am proud about that

Give me a six-digitised cheque to play in a NT, leave alone waving that country's flag, I would have a tattoo of that country's president done on my body. Dixon has got the importance of being populist in Turkey

 

[janketa2]

Give me a six-digitised cheque to play in a NT, leave alone waving that country's flag, I would have a tattoo of that country's president done on my body. Dixon has got the importance of being populist in Turkey

View attachment 10065

I new you are biased Besiktas fan but Erdogan on your backs is ridiculous You don't have adequate size for his head

 

[slice me nice2]

I new you are biased Besiktas fan but Erdogan on your backs is ridiculous You don't have adequate size for his head

Doesn't matter as long as he is in the middle of believer's hearts! Our hearts are enough big to embrace Mr. Erdoğan <3

 

[janketa2]

Doesn't matter as long as he is in the middle of believer's hearts! Our hearts are enough big to embrace Mr. Erdoğan <3

My hart isn't as big as yours so no space for politics, just Fener and Turkey

 

[slice me nice2]

My hart isn't as big as yours so no space for politics, just Fener and Turkey

I would do a kindness and recruit you for our master Erdoğan's party since it is so profitable. But, I won't do it since you are being so obsessive on Korkmaz.

 

[janketa2]

I would do a kindness and recruit you for our master Erdoğan's party since it is so profitable. But, I won't do it since you are being so obsessive on Korkmaz.

I would call you on beer but if you are Erdogan fan it wouldn't be appropriate

 

[slice me nice2]

I would call you on beer but if you are Erdogan fan it wouldn't be appropriate

Damn dude. You think we Erdoğan followers don't drink? Don't tell anyone but, we get drunk as a skunk and then go to ''Russian''. You know what I mean Shhhh, it is between ourselves. May Allah be with us...

 

[janketa2]

Damn dude. You think we Erdoğan followers don't drink? Don't tell anyone but, we get drunk as a skunk and then go to ''Russian''. You know what I mean Shhhh, it is between ourselves. May Allah be with us...

I will pray for you..

 

[Levenspiel2]

Umit Avci says Wanamaker or Wilbekin are considered for replacing Dixon as the new NT player.
the way he wrote the piece is rather shaky; sounds like it's only a speculation, or collection of rumors he heard.

but I think the TBF will continue along the same lines. We'll have either Dixon or another foreigner for the next campaign.

 

[Levenspiel2]

Here are my thoughts, from good to bad
...

you know what, okanial, I actually liked your ratings better than mine .

Sipahi: I think the biggest improvement was he showed he is comfortable to be a main part of the team. Previously he had not looked like a player for senior level. We do not and will not have anyone better anyway, at least for the next 2-3 years.

Erden: He's a strange guy, undisciplined. I hope he finds a 2-month contract or something at a decent level team and keeps staying on edge. otherwise he's lost. again.

Sanli: He needs tons of minutes in domestic league to get more productive/reliable; he seems to have the tools. Sarica, make this guy a solid player please.

Veyseloglu: thank you and good bye.

Hersek: not again, please.

Balbay: only if he was 10cm taller. and only if he could hit any of his wide-open shots. Great heart and hustle, but needs to be replaced.

Guler: a bad tourney, that's all. it can happen. He should be called back imho as long as he can walk. as a 3rd/4th guard.

Aldemir: What exactly happened to this guy over the last couple of years? He got his 1+ million/year salary and forgot playing bball. a crippled Yurtseven, or even 18-yo Atar would be more beneficial.

 

[freestyler342]

We got lots of players that can only do one thing good as example...

Melih - hes a guard who cant dribble or defend only thing he can do is hitting 3's and for that he must be wide open

Göksenin - He can only play defence, cant dribble or even score wide open layups as a guard

Balbay: He can only defend

I dont know what they are teaching this guys at senior levels they cant even dribble or some of them cant even score wide open layups, and those guys are playing as guards not bigs. there must be a big talent pool for this kind of players since they are short players not like bigs, even at your local park theres more skilled players.

As for Erden : Even he got flashy on offense sometimes, he got really low basketball IQ , leaving his man wide open under basket all the time for going nonsense help defence, he wont boxout other players while rebounding.

At least players like Sinan,Furkan and Osman can do couple of things good.

Not a big fan of Sipahi but hes still young hope he gets better in the future.