Group E: USA-TUR-CZE-JAP

[Tevfik1907]

https://www.eurohoops.net/en/fibawc/916429/korkmaz-turkey-overcome-mejri-tunisia/

After a win over France, Turkey also grabbed a 64-54 win against Tunisia a day later as the part of the national teams’ preparations for the World Cup.

Furkan Korkmaz led the way with 14 points and seven rebounds while Yigit Arslan added ten points.

For Tunisia, Salah Mejri logged game-high 19 points in addition to Mourad El Mabrouk’s ten points.

Turkey had a 23-14 lead after ten minutes but Tunisia won the uneffective second quarter 12-4 and trailed by just one point at halftime (27-26).

Although Tunisia managed to grab the lead, Turkey finished the third quarter with an 18-7 run going ahead in double-digits (53-41) and holding the distance until the very end.

[Tevfik1907]

https://www.eurohoops.net/en/fibawc/916409/cj-mccollum-why-would-i-go-and-potentially-be-the-face-of-a-losing-roster/

CJ McCollum was among the first players to decide on not joining Team USA for the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China. As he told Adrian Wojnarowski, he has wanted to focus on resting from a long season and injuries and participating would make his training schedule move things up too fast for his liking.

His decision wasn’t affected by Team USA roster as he was among the first to pull out but McCollum brought up an interesting point on what might have been on other players’ minds since the big number of absences raised questions on whether the squad will end up victorious in China:

“I think other guys looked at it like: ‘Why would I go and potentially be the face of a losing roster?’ Or the workload part. If we all play, the workload is less — 20-25 minutes, you get blowouts, you’re moving on. A lot of guys don’t play, your minutes might go up, your usage might go up, and that affects your summer as you go into March when that crash comes. January is where that crash comes before the All-Star break and then after the All-Star break, guys start to break down in March and April. Those extra miles and summertime hours… I’ve led the league in miles or close to it every year, I don’t want to run around in Australia or China and then come back and have to get ready for the season when I can be strategically planning my workload”, McCollum explained.

[vivo]

https://www.eurohoops.net/en/fibawc/...mejri-tunisia/

I didn't see the game but it seems our offense is inconsistent even against Tunisia. Hopefully Wilbekin, Ersan and Semih will help in that regard.

[Toruko]

I didn't see the game but it seems our offense is inconsistent even against Tunisia. Hopefully Wilbekin, Ersan and Semih will help in that regard.

What do you expect from Melih, Metecan and Metin Türen? Inconsistency is their second name and of course the three will help a lot. Beside our four weapons Wilbekin, Korkmaz, Ilyasova and Osman I trust Gecim as creator not as finisher, Yigit Arslan and Bugrahan Tuncer.

We are unfortunately fairly weak in the Center position but Ilyasova is easy strong enough to play as center and cedi as power forward. It will make us so fast that a great pace and space basketball with full court press is expectable.

[vivo]

What do you expect from Melih, Metecan and Metin Türen? Inconsistency is their second name and of course the three will help a lot. Beside our four weapons Wilbekin, Korkmaz, Ilyasova and Osman I trust Gecim as creator not as finisher, Yigit Arslan and Bugrahan Tuncer.

We are unfortunately fairly weak in the Center position but Ilyasova is easy strong enough to play as center and cedi as power forward. It will make us so fast that a great pace and space basketball with full court press is expectable.

Yes, I'm aware of it. In fact I have written that other than NBA players, out players are wildly inconsistent in offense on one of the threads in this subforum. Hopefully players to be added will help mitigate that.

Wilbekin - Yiğit - Furkan - Cedi - Ersan is a really nice lineup for pushing the tempo and increasing number of offenses, I would like to see it on court. You can replace Yiğit depending on the need and match-ups.

[Tevfik1907]

https://www.eurohoops.net/en/fibawc/917649/team-blue-beats-team-white-in-usa-first-tune-up/

Behind 17 points by Jayson Tatum and 14 by Kemba Walker, Team Blue beat Team White 97-78. It was the first public prep game of the team and De’Aaron Fox also justified the reports about being one of the standouts of the camp with 12 points.

John Collins had 12 points and eight rebounds for the losing side. “It’s the beginning of a new tournament”, said coach Gregg Popovich after the game. “Another World Cup, in this case, the FIBA World Cup. I think our guys are making progress, having never played together before. They showed great effort, doing a good job in a lot of different ways, just trying to get used to each other and form a team. We’re still in the early stages of trying to get together and figure out how we want to play and learn about each other. Tonight was another step”.

Meanwhile, the team announced that 17 players will ultimately fight for the 12 spots of the final roster. Those are 2016 Olympic gold medalist Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings); Marvin Bagley III (Sacramento Kings); Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics); De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings); Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets); Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers); Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks); Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors); Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks); Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz); 2014 World Cup gold medalist Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets); Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics); Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics); P.J. Tucker (Houston Rockets); Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers); Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics); and Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs).

On the contrary, Thaddeus Young and Bam Adebayo had been cut from the senior roster.

[Tevfik1907]

https://www.eurohoops.net/en/fibawc/918561/turkey-beats-senegal-in-preparation/

Turkey beat Senegal 94-59 in their preparation game at Sinan Erdem Arena ahead of the FIBA World Cup 2019.

Ersan Ilyasova paced the hosts with 16 points and five rebounds, while Furkan Korkmaz and Cedi Osman added 13 and 11 points respectively.

On the other side of the court, Maurice NDour paced Senegal with a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.

[Victorious]

Turkey starters look very solid and good. Based on their image, they play on level of top tier teams. But the team lacks depth. Once the starers are substituted, the level goes down. Not easily visible against teams such as Senegal though.

[Tevfik1907]

Turkey starters look very solid and good. Based on their image, they play on level of top tier teams. But the team lacks depth. Once the starers are substituted, the level goes down. Not easily visible against teams such as Senegal though.

I agree, starter not bad at all.

Wilbekin (Doğuş Balbay, Berk Uğurlu)
Cedi Osman (Melih Mahmutoğlu, Yiğit Arslan, Buğrahan Tuncer)
Furkan Korkmaz (Metecan Birsen)
Ersan İlyasova (Berkan Durmaz)
Sertaç Şanlı (Ege Arar, and Semih Erden if he is not injured)

Sertaç is not a bad center / power forward, but this roster seriously needs a block threat like Semih Erden, his situation is still not clear due to his injury.

[Tevfik1907]

https://www.sporx.com/12-dev-adam-iki-eksildi-SXHBQ795697SXQ

Metin Türen and Muhsin Yaşar are being removed from the team.

14 players currently;

A. Buğrahan Tuncer, Berk İbrahim Uğurlu, Berkan Durmaz, Cedi Osman, Doğuş Balbay, Ege Arar, Ersan İlyasova, Furkan Korkmaz, J. Metecan Birsen, Melih Mahmutoğlu, Scott Jordan Wilbekin, Semih Erden, Sertaç Şanlı, Yiğit Arslan

[Toruko]

I agree, starter not bad at all.

Wilbekin (Doğuş Balbay, Berk Uğurlu)
Cedi Osman (Melih Mahmutoğlu, Yiğit Arslan, Buğrahan Tuncer)
Furkan Korkmaz (Metecan Birsen)
Ersan İlyasova (Berkan Durmaz)
Sertaç Şanlı (Ege Arar, and Semih Erden if he is not injured)

Sertaç is not a bad center / power forward, but this roster seriously needs a block threat like Semih Erden, his situation is still not clear due to his injury.

First Sanli is utter trash and there is no danger about Erden. He will be in China.

[Tevfik1907]

Turkey 106 - 72 Jordan

[Tevfik1907]

First Sanli is utter trash and there is no danger about Erden. He will be in China.

''Trash'' Şanlı was able to play in TBL Final, and even scored 10 pts against us iirc in the last game 7, and before that he wasn't bad in BJK as well.

Semih is a very experienced center, this team needs someone like him, especially when we don't have an experienced center.

[Toruko]

''Trash'' Şanlı was able to play in TBL Final, and even scored 10 pts against us iirc in the last game 7, and before that he wasn't bad in BJK as well.

Semih is a very experienced center, this team needs someone like him, especially when we don't have an experienced center.

Wow 10 points against Fener I am impressed.

No to be serious its really embarrassing that such trashes like Sanli, Köksal, Batuk or even Mahmutoglu can wear the nt jersey although Mahmutoglu is sometimes useful. Especially Turkey who had traditionally very good Bigs and bad Guards is used to have different level center. I am not complaining about Erden he is always motivated in the national team but a Sanli who didnt play 5 serious games last season is not national team level player. He always comes late to help, he is a horrible defender, cant stop a guy without a foul, a very limited guy in the offense.

Your right. He is good against Japan maybe but not if you want to beat lets say Lithuania. Our expectations are far too high for him. It just shows how limited we are in the center position.

[Tevfik1907]

Wow 10 points against Fener I am impressed.

No to be serious its really embarrassing that such trashes like Sanli, Köksal, Batuk or even Mahmutoglu can wear the nt jersey although Mahmutoglu is sometimes useful. Especially Turkey who had traditionally very good Bigs and bad Guards is used to have different level center. I am not complaining about Erden he is always motivated in the national team but a Sanli who didnt play 5 serious games last season is not national team level player. He always comes late to help, he is a horrible defender, cant stop a guy without a foul, a very limited guy in the offense.

Your right. He is good against Japan maybe but not if you want to beat lets say Lithuania. Our expectations are far too high for him. It just shows how limited we are in the center position.

You've high standards. Of course I meant against the teams like Czech and Japan, it's not like he will save us from top tiers teams like Spain or Serbia. If we make it to the QF, that would be more than enough for us, and even that is a low possibility since we need to eliminate Greece in the second round considering that there will be USA once again and Greece from the other group.