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Philadelphia 76ers: Finding minutes for Furkan Korkmaz

By Tyler Monahan

CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 31: Head coach of Brett Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers yells at his players during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on March 31, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the 76ers 122-105. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 31: Head coach of Brett Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers yells at his players during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on March 31, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the 76ers 122-105. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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Now that the Process seems to be coming full circle Philadelphia has become a hot spot for basketball. With several free agent additions along with new players drafted, the rotation looks full. The addition of Furkan Korkmaz only makes the task of giving everyone minutes harder.

When  Furkan Korkmaz was drafted in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft he had the term “draft and stash” written all over him. Fans had seen this tactic in years prior to this draft, as Dario Saric didn’t join the team until 2 years after he was drafted by the Sixers.

It made sense to let Korkmaz develop overseas while the rest of the Sixers roster took shape in the upcoming years. But something happened that no one expected, Korkmaz came over to the NBA after only one year.

While some look at this as a bad thing because of his inability to jump right into the rotation I think it speaks volumes about the franchise and its turnaround. Several years ago the team couldn’t pay anyone enough to stick around through the constant losing, but now Philadelphia seems to be a destination players want to go to.

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After signing J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson while also bringing in Korkmaz, the Sixers seem to be done this offseason. The team is now 13 players deep and the next problem is finding minutes for all the players.

The Sixers, who in prior years have struggled to find outside shooting, are now flush with talent on the wings. While that is a good thing for the team it does mean that putting Korkmaz into the game will be easier said than done.

The best solution to this problem is to model Korkmaz’s rookie season after the rookie season of teammate Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. Not a part of the rotation early in the year, TLC  was eventually able to break through and become a vital part of the team. Bringing in Korkmaz as a three-point specialist in short stints may not be what Sixers fans want to see, but it should help the team in the long run.

With Markelle Fultz, J.J. Redick, Timothe Luwawu Cabarrot, Justin Anderson, TJ McConnell, Nik Stauskas, and Jerryd Bayless already on the roster battling for minutes between the two guard spots, finding minutes for Korkmaz will be tough.

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But unlike any of the players mentioned besides Fultz and Cabarrot, Korkmaz is here for the long haul. Finding minutes for him is a tough task but it could end up helping the Sixers not only now, but also down the road.