The future of the Turkish NT

[Toruko]

Oh, and I hope not that kind of lob threat of Bona coming for you

Good pick and roll defense but the Turkish NT wont have such decrepit guards like UCLA.

BTW, 2025 will be harder to win than 2022. France will stronger, Germany probably slightly stronger with even better Franz, Latvia might be super strong, Lithuania will be stronger, Spain likely stronger (it's funny they won 2022, but I think they will have better team). In other words, FIBA and FIBA Europe is sensationally competitive now.

Lets first see who is on board and whos not but yeah it should be fun.

[Straight forward]

Oh, and I hope not that kind of lob threat of Bona coming for you

https://twitter.com/ArizonaMBB/status/1765943872767795705

BTW, 2025 will be harder to win than 2022. France will stronger, Germany probably slightly stronger with even better Franz, Latvia might be super strong, Lithuania will be stronger, Spain likely stronger (it's funny they won 2022, but I think they will have better team). In other words, FIBA and FIBA Europe is sensationally competitive now.

[Toruko]

Without elite PG I don't see how Turkey can really compete in 2025 for medals. Not objectively. Off course, some kind of big time naturalization can change that. But it's not nice to add random Americans and that rarely works.

Lets wait and see. I am really high on the Eurobasket 2025.

[Straight forward]

About Buyuktuncel you are absolutely right. Most likely, he will be no option for 2025 but Bona is totally ready to contribute. The role he has inherited this season with UCLA is a totally different role he will have with the NT. He is a superb defender who will have a sudden impact right away. He will also open up a lob target possibility on the offense as well as a great passing option in the transition offense.

He will probably foul out after 20 minutes but he will level up the vulnerable Turkish defense for sure. Thats what we need. Player with a high motor like him is gold for us and he has a NBA ready body.

Sengun as a go to guy is not enough, a big cant change FIBA games by himself. You need a perimeter guy with killer instinct. We expected Furkan Korkmaz to be that guy but albeit being very talented he is in a bad shape and has confidence issues. Biberovic on the other hand is on the verge of being a great player. He will fill that role that Korkmaz and Cedi Osman failed to fill.

The Turkish team is very deep in the 2-3-5 positions. Even Sanli who has found his shape lately will not be able to make it to the team. A team who comes with Korkmaz and Osman from the bench is frightening. 4 position is not that persuading but not the problem like it was in the last 5 years.

The question mark is will be the team experienced enough to survive do or die games.

The PG position is truly weak. Kenan Sipahi is the only guy who can contribute on a acceptable level. A very capable defender who makes his team mates better but he cant shoot. They are still trying to make Biberovic available for the NT to use another big name guard as naturalized player. This would change the entire situation but I am against it.

Even with Sipahi this team can face anyone.

Without elite PG I don't see how Turkey can really compete in 2025 for medals. Not objectively. Off course, some kind of big time naturalization can change that. But it's not nice to add random Americans and that rarely works.

[Toruko]

Bitim's role is entirely established in the NBA. But off course the fact that he's in NBA is nice alone and Tarik has been playing well recently. Jasikevicius will put him the right path for further development. As well as off course Sengun's smooth development are nice compliments so far.

I don't see a medal, but I see an interesting team. Bona's and Berke's impact in EB is absolutely mysterious ATM. From not to little impact to decent role players I would say. Hard to judge.

I would say Turkey has a guy to go in Sengun and he will show his face whenever he can be absolutely deadly in FIBA or not, overall good rotation in 5-2 positions, but lacking true guards who can be highly creative and carry NT. Who will play at 1?

About Buyuktuncel you are absolutely right. Most likely, he will be no option for 2025 but Bona is totally ready to contribute. The role he has inherited this season with UCLA is a totally different role he will have with the NT. He is a superb defender who will have a sudden impact right away. He will also open up a lob target possibility on the offense as well as a great passing option in the transition offense.

He will probably foul out after 20 minutes but he will level up the vulnerable Turkish defense for sure. Thats what we need. Player with a high motor like him is gold for us and he has a NBA ready body.

Sengun as a go to guy is not enough, a big cant change FIBA games by himself. You need a perimeter guy with killer instinct. We expected Furkan Korkmaz to be that guy but albeit being very talented he is in a bad shape and has confidence issues. Biberovic on the other hand is on the verge of being a great player. He will fill that role that Korkmaz and Cedi Osman failed to fill.

The Turkish team is very deep in the 2-3-5 positions. Even Sanli who has found his shape lately will not be able to make it to the team. A team who comes with Korkmaz and Osman from the bench is frightening. 4 position is not that persuading but not the problem like it was in the last 5 years.

The question mark is will be the team experienced enough to survive do or die games.

The PG position is truly weak. Kenan Sipahi is the only guy who can contribute on a acceptable level. A very capable defender who makes his team mates better but he cant shoot. They are still trying to make Biberovic available for the NT to use another big name guard as naturalized player. This would change the entire situation but I am against it.

Even with Sipahi this team can face anyone.

[Straight forward]

Onuralp Bitim shows also great flashes of defense in the NBA. He is a very solid shooter as well. With Bona including we really could win a medal 2025 in the Eurobasket.

Bitim's role is not entirely established in the NBA. But off course the fact that he's in NBA is nice alone and Tarik has been playing well recently. Jasikevicius will put him the right path for further development. As well as off course Sengun's smooth development are nice compliments so far.

I don't see a medal, but I see an interesting team. Bona's and Berke's impact in EB is absolutely mysterious ATM. From not to little impact to decent role players I would say. Hard to judge.

I would say Turkey has a guy to go in Sengun and he will show his face whenever he can be absolutely deadly in FIBA or not, overall good rotation in 5-2 positions, but lacking true guards who can be highly creative and carry NT. Who will play at 1?

[Toruko]

To resume from the point I stopped there are reasons to be happy this season. Ercan Osmani and Tarik Biberovic have evolved to serious EL rotation players. Osmani needs to work on his body and defense a bit more but he has everything to be a solid EL player. He avoided to deal with the ball in the last couple games. He had to know his limits.

Tarik Biberovic on the other hand had a surprising rise and I dont even mean his prolific outside shot which he can create on a high level. His craftiness is increasing too. He can keep his composure and read the right plays and even though not enough he goes to the rim with good ball handling skills for his position.

I always saw more upside in him than Bogdanovic. Off course he is not even close to his ability to create for himself and others but with the right step he will be on of the best Small Forwards in Europe. I even see the capacity of becoming a scoring guard.

Onuralp Bitim shows also great flashes of defense in the NBA. He is a very solid shooter as well. With Bona including we really could win a medal 2025 in the Eurobasket.

[Camoka]

It is really good to see Onuralp getting meaningful minutes. He makes 3pt shoots with high percentage. It really important for us. Also, he plays really good defence against NBA athleticism. Also, Biberovic took a new step and become a totally different player. Those guys are shooters with a good defence for Alperen's team. Alperen seems less dominant on the second half of the season. But he showed us that he can reach Allstar level. I think this offseason without national duty, it is a good chance for him. He needs to develop and be a consistent Allstar player. Cedi also having a decent season. Lets look whether he can be a role player of a winning team at least three or four seasons more. From the negative side, Yurtseven and Furkan will probably come back to Euro. I thought that Yurtseven might be a good back up center but he could not reach the level that he reached with Miami. For Furkan, I think he lost his confidence but I like his physical shape. I think he is better now than the last couple years.

For the prospects, Adem probably will be drafted this year. I like him and he will be better in NBA with better playmakers. I hope he will get chance to play. On the other hand, Buyuktuncel is getting less chance, he looks like he has zero tools on the court except a big body but it is his first season. He can be better on the next one.

I really like both Efes prospects, Tunca and Demirel. Efes is already a shit this season and probably will be next season too. It may be good opportunity for these guys.

If Alperen will be a real Allstar next season. We can be a contender for a medal for 2025 EuroBasket with Osman, Korkmaz, Bitim, Bona, Yurtseven, Biberovic. And possibly additions with Buyuktuncel, Osmani, Sipahi, Tunca, Konan, Demirel.

[SaliH]

Onuralp's debut for Chicago was pretty good not because of his stats but because he played some good minutes and also was part of the roster in some of the most important moments of the team in the 4th and in OT. This shows that the coach trusted him and gave him an opportunity. Let's hope that he has a fruitful end of the season.

[slice me nice]

I believe that the addition of Biberovic to the NT will have a more significant positive impact on the court than anticipated. At this point, we lack a highly performing versatile shooter who can excel at the top level. Therefore, I expect Biberovic to provide a clear positive contribution especially in the upcoming two games and beyond. Setting aside shooters like Mahmutoglu whose expiration date has passed, Biberovic appears to be the player that the sets can be played on, thus easing the team's on-court parcelization. Particularly in the next two games, a potentially high-performing Biberovic could unexpectedly become an integral part of the team in the following period.

Addedly, Biberovic is a contender to become a serious Euroleague player, and especially with his performance this season, he is beginning to show promise for the future once again after that time he came into prominence as a high level prospect. However, I still believe that spending a season in a lower-tier team where he would take on more responsibility in offense and engage in more actions would be necessary for his career to progress more solidly. Although he has a role in the current Fenerbahce roster, he does not have enough opportunity to solve problems on the court. I believe that in a system where he would be the main actor in offense, he would thrive. While some players' performances do not necessarily increase in proportion to the minutes they play, I believe the opposite will happen with Biberovic, and he will evolve into a more scorer and effective player in more substantial playing time. In a scenerio that Biberovic having a season with let's say Karsiyaka, could elevate his game to a whole new level. Since he is currently a player whose offensive boundaries are sharply defined, experiencing a more relaxed atmosphere where he can break out of those boundaries will provide him with valuable experience that will contribute to his progress in the Euroleague in the future.

As expected from my side, Biberovic had a significant impact in the two games. While he didn't display a complete offensive performance like in the Italy game, he proved to be a reliable hand in critical moments with his game-winning shot in the Iceland game. At this point, Biberovic is shaping up to be an important player for the team. With each passing day, he matures his game, and we see a much more wise and relaxed Biberovic on the court. Being able to deliver when needed is a crucial trait for a player, and as seen in the two games with the NT, Biberovic has the potential to rise above his current responsibilities at Fenerbahce. With a higher proportion of offense to acquire, I expect him to become national team's most important perimeter player in the next few seasons. However, to achieve this, he may need to take a step back for a season and then come back stronger at the Euroleague level. While it may not be feasible given the current circumstances at Fenerbahce, I see this career path as a necessity for Biberovic to reach his maximum potential, in addition to his hard work and talent.

[Toruko]

Great first game of Onuralpas Bitimas for the Bulls. In 24 minutes of pt he contributed 10 points and 6 rebounds with 3/4 from the field.

[TurkfromGermany]

We need more Euroleague proven player.

Every turk must think this way. If we dont include Furkan and Cedi(both would play in EL if they were in Europe), zero EL-players from the 95-97 generation. This can only happen in turkish bb system. Melih Tunca & Efe Demirel are really great prospects, real high level prospects and very important ones because of the positions/styles(PG Melih Tunca and Efe Demirel a real over 210 guy with 2 way potential and above average offensive talent for turkish standarts). Look at how Efes handles both, that can only happen in Turkiye. If you dont show your players the right way, give them real chances and protect them, then you will not produce EL players.

[Camoka]

Both Berk and Bugrahan were joke against Italy. Especially Berk played like teenager, easy mistakes. I remember that some commentators complained about absence of Berk for 2021 olympic qualifiers. Guys like Sehmus as PG, Berk, Ozdemiroglu are just ordinary. They are playing some for eurocup, CL clubs because Turkish teams need Turkish rotation. They are even not enough for qualifiers stage. Kenan is good but not enough. At least, he can play defence, post up game, he is big. He offers somethink.

Someone needs to step up but it does not seem possible for short term.

The biggest candidate is Tunca but he is still playing against kids which he was already MVP of tournament last year. What a lost year for him. The others are Cengiz and Saran. They have limited potential but at least they are playing and I hope one of them can develop as a point guard which can secure ball and has ball handling skills.

[janketa]

For the near future there are some questions to be answered. It is clear that Kenan Sipahi is our only usable and competitive play maker but he has serious flaws on the offensive end. Sure his defense is a plus and he can really play make but without a serious scoring thread it is difficult to create. Even though I think that a lob target like Vernon Carey would underline Sipahis play making abilities more also with the NT we need the correct five to go with him.

Adem Bona is our lob target and I am sure Adem could profit from playing with Sipahi offensively. We could also park Sengun in the perimeter and let him attack close outs, finish, create whatever... In order to use a lineup like Sipahi - Bona - Sengun the remaining two guys must be able to create for themselves and must be deadly shooters.

I dont trust Cedi Osman and Furkan Korkmaz at his current state. Korkmaz is a horrible defender and always a target defensively. Bitim showed that he is not ready to carry that burden on do or die games. He cant cope with the situation how the Croatia game showed.

And thats the point. According to Ataman there is still a chance that Biberovic could be considered as a normal Turkish NT member rather than a naturalized player but I am against it. Ataman will surely try to add a new naturalized play maker to win a medal and to be honest we need one desperately but like I said I am against it.

For the time being I gave up on Sadik Emir Kabaca.

My team for 2025 looks like that:

Kenan Sipahi [naturalized American], Bugrahan Tuncer, Berk Ugurlu.
Tarik Biberovic, Onuralp Bitim
Cedi Osman, Furkan Korkmaz
Alperen Sengun, Berke Buyuktuncel, Ercan Osmani
Adem Bona, Omer Faruk Yurtseven

The third ACL torn of Mert Akay hurt us very deep.

It's ok more less, we lack of players. but Bugrahan Tuncer? Come on

[Toruko]

For the near future there are some questions to be answered. It is clear that Kenan Sipahi is our only usable and competitive play maker but he has serious flaws on the offensive end. Sure his defense is a plus and he can really play make but without a serious scoring thread it is difficult to create. Even though I think that a lob target like Vernon Carey would underline Sipahis play making abilities more also with the NT we need the correct five to go with him.

Adem Bona is our lob target and I am sure Adem could profit from playing with Sipahi offensively. We could also park Sengun in the perimeter and let him attack close outs, finish, create whatever... In order to use a lineup like Sipahi - Bona - Sengun the remaining two guys must be able to create for themselves and must be deadly shooters.

I dont trust Cedi Osman and Furkan Korkmaz at his current state. Korkmaz is a horrible defender and always a target defensively. Bitim showed that he is not ready to carry that burden on do or die games. He cant cope with the situation how the Croatia game showed.

And thats the point. According to Ataman there is still a chance that Biberovic could be considered as a normal Turkish NT member rather than a naturalized player but I am against it. Ataman will surely try to add a new naturalized play maker to win a medal and to be honest we need one desperately but like I said I am against it.

For the time being I gave up on Sadik Emir Kabaca.

My team for 2025 looks like that:

Kenan Sipahi [naturalized American], Bugrahan Tuncer, Berk Ugurlu.
Tarik Biberovic, Onuralp Bitim
Cedi Osman, Furkan Korkmaz
Alperen Sengun, Berke Buyuktuncel, Ercan Osmani
Adem Bona, Omer Faruk Yurtseven

The third ACL torn of Mert Akay hurt us very deep.