Prospect Focus: Mert Akay
BACKGROUND: No basketball background in family. Started playing basketball in Bahcesehir when he was 6 years old and later joined Anadolu Efes youth program at the age of 11, played there for two years and joined Darussafaka in 2014. In season 2018/19 he played some games for their pro team in Euroleague and Turkish league. Joined Dynamic Belgrade last season and is now playing his second season for them. Was also a member of Turkish U16, U18 and U20 national teams. Went to German High School in Turkey which is regarded as one of the hardest schools in Turkey. His family supports him on his basketball journey.
PERSONALITY: Great leader on and off the court. Hard worker with great work ethic. Knows the value of education and was a great student in school and also a passionate student of the game of basketball. His idol is Sarunas Jasikevicius.
PHYSICAL/ATHLETIC TOOLS: Solid athlete. Doesn’t have the highest and most explosive vertical leap but is explosive in his north-south and east-west movements. Knows how to use his body to be his advantage. Strong upper and lower body with good position size and usually has strength and size advantage over his defender. Can reach high speed on open court while also showing some promising quickness in tight spaces.
OFFENSE:
Shooting: The aspect in his offensive game that needs the most improvements. Not that he can’t make shots but not a reliable and consistent shooter so far. His release is on the slower side and needs space and time. His shooting motion needs some fixes too. His lower body isn’t parallel to the rim when he shoots, he puts his right leg too forward and most of his shots are off target. Has made some improvements in his shooting motion already and the release got softer in the last few years but not a perfect release yet. With the work ethic he has, I’m sure that he will bring his shooting percentages to a solid level in the next few years.
Pick & rolls: Elite pick & roll player. Scans and reads the court extremely well and has great anticipation where all 10 players are. Rarely makes wrong decisions and mistakes in his pick & rolls. Knows how to maintain the dribble, put his defenders in jail and create a better and more open look. Even though he likes to involve his teammates and look for passes first, he can go straight to the rim if you give him too much space. When defenders go under the screen and give too much space to him at the three point line he will take the open shot without much hesitation.
Slashing: Great penetrator. Explosive first step and attacks the rim in a straight line. Reads the defense really well and always finds enough space to get to the rim. At the rim he can finish with both hands and absorb some contact with his strong body. Knows how to use his body to protect himself from being blocked. Hard to stop when he goes down the lane at full speed. Showing some decent touch around the rim but sticks to basic layups, not trying to be fancy with some floaters or runners.
Playmaking/passing: Due to his size he can see over defenders and scan the floor well. Orchestrates the offense like the best playmakers do. Knows where all players are and anticipates well where they are going to be in next seconds. Can deliver precise passes out of any situation to any spot on the floor. His basketball IQ and feel for the game are on the highest level.
Ball handling: Reliable ball handler that doesn’t make any mistakes. Can keep the dribble alive under pressure even when double teamed, he maintains the dribble and knows how to solve the situation. Uses his body for protection, has good control over the ball and keeps his dribbles pretty low. Makes aggressive dribbles and even though he doesn’t have many fancy go-to ball handling moves, he can get past defender pretty easily.
DEFENSE:
Perimeter defense: Plays good and aggressive on ball defense. Not afraid of contact and doesn’t back down easily. Slides his feet well, moves good laterally and has active hands and feet with good anticipation for pocket steals. Shows high basketball IQ on the defensive side too with making great reads.
Defensive versatility: With his combination of strong body, athleticism and good footwork he can defend any type of players on perimeter, even some wings. Usually guarding playmakers but would not struggle too much against other positions. Low gravity point and pretty strong stance in defending on post ups but still lacks length to contest shots completely under the rim.
Off ball defense: Covers much ground and knows for how much he can leave his man open. Recovers really well on closeouts, makes correct reads and contests shots or drives. His rotations are usually on time and has good court awareness. Showing great instincts for steals when he is helping out.
Rebounding: Even though this is usually not a characteristic in which point guards are good at, Mert is showing his great instincts in this aspect too. He knows where the ball is going and is usually at the right place at the right time. He is not vertically the most explosive or possesses an outstanding reach but with his instincts and IQ he can bring a lot to the table as a rebounding guard.
SUMMARY:
His basketball IQ and court vision stand out immediately and not many players with that size can be so confident with the ball in his hands. Also his defensive game is on a high level already but still has room for improvements. His main weakness so far is his shot from distance and I’m sure he will improve it to a solid level. Definitely a player that executives from top tier European clubs should monitor closely and a player that has the potential to have a nice career on the top level in Europe.
