Mehmet Okur

Overview:A skilled post player that can create mismatch problems with his mixture of size and shooting touch. Has very good size and strength for the power forward or center position. Not a true center by virtue of his skill set. Adequately mobile for a player his size, but not overly quick or explosive. Doesn’t change directions well. Used to show better athleticism. Shoots the ball like a guard. Knows where to set up to get open. Above average rebounder. Not much of a defensive player. Won a few Turkish League Championships with Tofas Bursa and Efes Pilsen. Was drafted in the second round and spent a year overseas before making the jump to the NBA. Showed some signs during his two years with the Pistons, but made major strides after signing a big deal with the Jazz. Was part of the Pistons team the won the NBA Championship in 2004. Earned a spot in the 2007 All-Star Game. Won’t get as many touches as he used to with Utah continuing to build around Deron Williams. Very inconsistent, especially in big games when he’s needed the most. Still an effective player.

Offense: A nice option offensively who is not as productive as he used to be, but remains relatively effective over the course of a season. Gets almost half of his shots up from spot up opportunities, but will also venture down low and be the roll man on the pick and roll and go one-on-one with his back to the basket. Has a great shooting stroke for a player his size, and displays absolutely no hesitation hoisting shots up. Possesses a very smooth release and soft touch. Takes a lot of 3-pointers, and makes them at a very good rate. Great pick and pop option. Hits a ton of shots from a step inside the arc as well. A great catch and shoot option out on the perimeter. Spreads the floor and makes space for other players to post up. Not a huge factor off the dribble, but is surprisingly efficient with the way he puts the ball on the floor. Able to get his shot off over defenders without a lot of effort. Not a bad ball handler for a player his size, which makes him even tougher to defend out on the perimeter. Will drive to the rim every now and again, but that’s not his game, as he lacks the quickness to always get separation. Pushes to the rim more than he drives. Will finish at the rim, but isn’t smooth or explosive enough to be consistent at the basket. Goes to the line at a good rate and shoots a good percentage. Nowhere near as good with his back to the basket as he is facing it. Doesn’t fight that hard for position on the block, and thus his looks down there are few and far between. Posts up on the left block way more than the right. Has some nice counter-moves and a solid turnaround. Struggles with contact at times—obviously not as tough as his post-mate Carlos Boozer. Not always explosive enough to finish around the rim. Won’t face up all that often. Pulls down offensive rebounds at a very good rate. Not a great passer, but not turnover prone either. Has improved in that regard since he first entered the league. Shot-selection can still be lacking at times. A nice asset for his ability to open up the floor for his teammates, but not an ideal first option since he is most efficient when his teammates set him up.

Defense: A limited defender whose lack of lateral quickness hurts his ability to make a consistent impact. Has the bulk to fight for position on the block, but is often unable to keep smaller player from getting position due to his inability to use leverage.. More focused on staying in front of his man than contesting shots. Isn’t quick enough to keep up with the more explosive centers in the League. Lacks the leaping ability to make an impact as a shot blocker. Not going to hedge many screens due to his lack of recovery speed. Commits a lot of fouls by virtue of the way he often simply leans on his man in the post. Rebounds the ball at a decent rate due to his great hands, but isn’t overly active on the glass. Not a very attractive option defensively, but shows some effort.

Mehmet Okur is facing high expectations here at the Eurobasket. Despite the fact that there is huge pressure from the media towards the whole team, Okur is one of the key players in the whole tournament. It is known that Okur is a very versatile frontcourt player who can post up his opponents but also knock down shots from three point range. Looking back to the last weeks of preparation, Okur showed fatal holes on the defensive end. His help-side defense often came too late and it was clear to see that he has to improve his footwork. Against France – a team built on quick and athletic players- he struggled to keep his opponent in front of him.

But the key question is: What about the condition of Okur? Will he last for many minutes? Okur is facing serious conditioning problems since the last European championships in Sweden. This was also the reason why Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was not satisfied with the way Okur came to Utah. Fans often see him dominating the first quarter but for the rest of the game Okur struggles, and badly. Okur now has a special Croatian coach who helps him in this area. It will be very important for Turkish coach Tanjevic to use him as much as he can. With Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu in the mix as well, Turkey does not face any problems with depth at the frontline, but keeping Okur on the court opens up many options for the team which benefits from his versatile play. And it will be very important to create room and position for Okur, too, the because latest games of Turkey showed that the Turkish players are facing serious problems using their big men. Considering also the fact that he is able to collect many assists, Turkey has to deviate from it’s focus on the forwards and use a smarter inside-out system in hope of seeing a maximum performance by Okur, who will be the key for Turkey’s chances here in Serbia and Montenegro.