The 76ers’ journey to the 2021 Finals ended earlier than all of us expected, but it gave us a chance to take the lead in the offseason. Before we delve into the draft, fake trades and various other issues, the first task is to determine who should stay and who should stand out from their current free agents.

After a week of holidays, Furkan Korkmaz is our next hot list. I hope you all have a good time during my period of avoiding sunburn and drinking fruity drinks.

2020-21 season data: 9.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists per game, and a field goal percentage of 40.1/37.5/73.2.

Looking back on the year

Entering the first season of the Doc Rivers era, Furkan Korkmaz looks expected to be a major beneficiary of personnel changes. Rivers has always done a good job of making the most of mobile shooters, although it is undeniable that it is not difficult to get offensive value from players like Ray Allen and JJ Redick.

Although Korkmaz is not disappointing this season, his numbers have declined after a breakthrough year in the 2019-20 season, and he may represent the toughest decision of any pending free agent on the roster this season. Are Korkmaz’s flashes enough to bet on progress next season, or do they need an older, more reliable player to take over his substitute role?

Part of Korkmaz’s appeal is that you don’t have to classify him as a single offensive role. If you just want someone to sit in a weak corner or in Joel Embiid’s vision, he is a capable stationary shooter with his back to the basket, and he can shoot on the move with the ball in his hand. Do some organization. But Korkmaz’s signature technology was not as good as the previous season, and the 76ers asked him to do too much elsewhere. This is the product of playing with a second team that lacks a reliable creator.

Corkmaz actually showed slight progress as a stop shooter in 2021, which is an encouraging sign for someone who saw his usage rate climb under Rivers. But Kirkmaz has performed in many of Philadelphia’s worst offensive rounds, and he was asked to do too much while dribbling during the game. According to Second Spectrum tracking data, Korkmaz’s shots have increased after more than 7 dribbles, many of which caused his position on the floor to be unbalanced by runners and floaters, and he had little success. The Turkish winger shot less than 29% from 3-10 feet. Although there is more room to operate on the surface, his efficiency in every area of ??the field is declining.

When Korkmaz took on more static roles to open up space for the starting heavy units, he performed well throughout the season. When the 76ers were on the court with Korkmaz, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, they outperformed their opponents by more than 27 points per 100 possessions, leading the way in offensive efficiency (124.4) and defensive efficiency (96.8). As the starting lineup for the whole year, Korkmaz can replace different members of the starting lineup and keep the 76ers buzzing on both ends of the court.

Although this is more illustrative of the production of the first group member than Korkmaz, it does show that when he is in the right role, he can be an active contributor (or at least not cause positive harm). In this case, there is another fact worth pointing out—Korkmaz has taken a reasonable step as a 76ers guard this season. Throughout the season and even in the playoffs, he has some Very good possession.

Although this did not bring him to the level of a good or influential defender, it does show that Korkmaz has learned a lot during his last four years in the league, and his reading has become more and more acute, which helps He has realized his competitiveness and commitment in this regard almost always. Corkmaz still looks thin and weak on the court, but he is unlikely to be completely knocked down on the defensive end, and by appearing in the right place at the right time more frequently, he is doing his job as expected One of the lowest defenders on the ground.

Appearance

So far, Korkmaz’s career in Philadelphia has been very interesting. Two years ago, after the team (perhaps the league) seemed to have abandoned him, he was brought back in an unexpected trade. He has worked hard to improve some of his weaknesses while providing some necessary offensive shocks. He is still one of the young players on the list-Korkmaz didn’t turn 24 until late July-and he has had enough positive performance in more than two years, he is a reasonable bet for a long-term contributor.

With more time, you can persuade me to talk to Korkmaz and turn his opportunity as a ball handler into a reliable pick-and-roll threat, albeit a miniature role. If Rivers tries to make his star more staggered next season-considering the history there, this is a big problem-Corkmaz could be one of the main beneficiaries on the bench. It would be a good thing to let Corkmaz play more time on the court with Simmons or Embiid. He can make a transitional three-pointer in the break with Simmons, as Embiid’s strong side outlet in the low post, and this team will still need to shoot in the next few years.

However, Korkmaz seems to be stuck in a tricky situation because he may be too unstable to play his role in a good/competitive team now, but it may also be a bit too young and too good to be able to On the brink of rotation when he can get more opportunities and money elsewhere. If the 76ers are in a position where Korkmaz needs to be a frequent starting position again, then they may not be in a good position. If Corkmaz is buried on the bench next year and becomes a Philadelphia player, then he will certainly not be in the right position for personal growth.

Korkmaz’s situation is also complicated by the need to train other higher-priority talents. With Tyrese Maxey entering his place at the end of his rookie season, Shake Milton may lose the leading ball-handling representative in the second team, and then he will enter the representative competition as a purer shooter and killer type. . Given Milton’s ability to create his own shooting opportunities, his shooting pedigree, and the team-friendly trades he is still making in the next few seasons, even if the only real obstacle is financial*, the 76ers did May be reluctant to re-enter Kirkmaz. Considering Isaiah Joe’s young shooting prospects and the head coach’s desire to become bigger on the bench, both sides can easily decide to move on.

(*The 76ers have all the bird rights of Korkmaz, so in theory they can provide him with anything up to/including the maximum value.)

Verdict: go

If the player and the team can find the best position in terms of roles and money, you can of course give him a reason to come back. If the 76ers are closer to becoming a true trade contender than they have shown, maybe Joshua Harris and his company will pay him what he wants (I don’t think it will be a ton) as the end-potential champion A substitute player for the title.

But I have a hunch that someone will give Korkmaz one small This summer is too much to provide him with more touch opportunities and more money, and this team’s expectations are lower than this one. Maybe this is wrong in the end. This is not the first time Kokmaz has re-cooperated with Philadelphia, which surprised me personally.

Follow Kyle on Twitter: @Kyle newback