CAMDEN, N.J. — Furkan Korkmaz has been with the Philadelphia 76ers for his entire NBA career. He is in his fifth season, and he has had to fight for minutes — something he didn’t necessarily have to do in the past.
The 12.9 minutes per game he is averaging are the fewest since his rookie season, and the minutes have been up and down. He is averaging 5.2 points and 1.2 rebounds while shooting 37% from deep.
Even if the minutes are not coming the same way as they have been in the past, Korkmaz is focused on trying to help the Sixers win and play his role when his number is called.
“I think I’m playing the right way,” he said. “I’m trying to help my team to win and I’m trying to play my best basketball, but I think right now, for us, (it’s about) playing the right way. It doesn’t matter how many points you score, how many rebounds you grab, if you play the right way, you’re gonna keep your place in the rotation. You’re gonna keep your minutes and that’s what I’m trying to do right now.”
Korkmaz is certainly taking on the right mindset for his situation. It may not be what he wants at the moment, but as long as he continues to do what he can to help the team and have a team-first mentality, it will be a big help to himself and the Sixers.
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