76ers Veteran Shines Light on Furkan Korkmaz’s Recent Contributions

The 2022-2023 NBA season was a tough stretch for Philadelphia 76ers sharpshooter Furkan Korkmaz. After he appeared in 67 games, picking up a career-high 19 starts and averaging 21 minutes per night in year five, Korkmaz fell out of Doc Rivers’ rotation during his sixth season.

Last year, Korkmaz appeared in just 37 games. When he did play, he averaged under ten minutes on the floor for the first time since his rookie season. 

With a new head coach in the mix, replacing the fired Doc Rivers, Korkmaz hoped for another shot to crack the rotation with Nick Nurse running the team in 2023-2024. Unfortunately, he faced a significant obstacle in the offseason as his ability to compete for a spot in training camp and the preseason was run off track due to an injury.

With just one preseason outing under his belt, Korkmaz started the year off out of the Sixers’ rotation. For the team’s first two games, Korkmaz registered DNPs. After the Sixers made their first trade of the year following the Sunday night win against the Portland Trail Blazers, a notable opportunity came Korkmaz’s way.

Nick Nurse trusted the reserves he started the year off with, so he didn’t feel a need to rush any of the four trade acquisitions out on the floor. Although Korkmaz’s season debut came last Sunday against the Blazers, he appeared on the court for under three minutes in garbage time as the Sixers were on the path to a near-30-point victory.

The real opportunity for Kokmaz came on Thursday night against the Toronto Raptors. Picking up around his career average of 21 minutes of playing time, Korkmaz seized the moment. He took seven shots from the field, knocking down 57 percent of his attempts. Tacking on a free throw, Korkmaz had a ten-point outing off the bench. He also came down with a rebound and snatched three steals.

Nurse gave Korkmaz another look during the Sixers’ Saturday afternoon battle with the Phoenix Suns. In the 12-point win for Philadelphia, Korkmaz checked in for a little under 18 minutes. Although he took five fewer shots from the field, Korkmaz still produced five points, making a timely three, which sparked a second-half 76ers run that put the game out of reach for Phoenix.

After the game, Korkmaz’s teammate Tobias Harris praised him for his recent efforts, highlighting the Turkish veteran’s ability to contribute both on and off the stat sheet.

“Furk’s been playing great,” said Harris. “Just his overall ability to be just a smart player. He makes timely shots as well. He does a lot of things that people, you know, don’t show up on the stat sheet. He catches the ball, sometimes shot fakes, and getting into the middle of the paint. That’s big for us. He creates looks for other guys. He gets the hockey assists from time to time. Those things generate productive and good offense overall. Good ball movement and body movement.”

Korkmaz is likely in the Sixers’ rotation on a per-game basis. With Philadelphia possessing four former Los Angeles Clippers, who are waiting in the wings, it’s unclear how long Korkmaz has until Nurse might give one of the new guys a look beyond Robert Covington, who is evidently on pace to have a consistent role.

Being in and out of the Sixers’ rotation is nothing foreign to Korkmaz, but it’s clear he’s motivated to win and maintain a role after falling out of favor last season. Two games in, Korkmaz is making a solid case for himself, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates.