Furkan Korkmaz, Anadolu Efes

Age: 18 years old     Size: 6’7, 175 pounds

Last Season’s Stats: 2.7 points; 0.9 rebounds; 0.5 assists per game

Percentages: 39.1% from the field; 42.3% from three-point; 57.1% from the free throw line

The Nuggets had Furkan Korkmaz in for a pre-draft workout and impressed the media quite a bit in his interview. He apparently struggled during his workout but after flying international just three days before and having two workouts prior is enough to give him a pass.

When talking about high upside picks in the later teens of the 2016 NBA Draft, the conversation always includes Korkmaz. He has shown the ability to light it up from three-point range, being a career 44 percent three-point shooter between his time with the Turkish National team and his time in the Euroleague. He is already comfortable being a primary ball-handler in the pick and roll, using his length and height to pass the ball from different angles, as well as use his pull-up jumper in space. Korkmaz has the ability to float as well. He is as springy and athletic as prospects come. When watching him play, he is a lot like Zach LaVine when he came out of college, except Korkmaz is a much better shooter.

Also like LaVine, Korkmaz is unnaturally thin. Being only 175 pounds on a 6-foot-7 frame seems almost impossible. He has been very outspoken on his issues with his weight, and he is working towards packing on more muscle.

When Korkmaz was talking with the Denver media, he was very transparent on his weaknesses:

“I need to improve my weaknesses. For example, my body. I am so skinny,” Korkmaz said. “I know that. Basketball is not just body. You have to be smart. You have to be clever. First I’d say my body, [and] I need to improve and my defensive ability.”

Considering that Korkmaz is the second-youngest player in the draft and he already has a mindset of a winner, as seen above, there is a lot to like. Not only is he young, but he also has already gained a large chunk of experience being that he has played 70 games and over 900 minutes between Euroleague and the Turkish National team. He will struggle defensively at first because of his slender frame, but he also seems to provide a lot of different positives and only a few negatives, most of which can be worked out over time.

Furkan Korkmaz should be the guy the Nuggets are praying falls to them at 19. If available it is almost a sure-fire selection for the Nuggets.