Basketbol-euroleague

[baybilen]

Bu sene Final Four icin umutluyum, insallah Fenerbahcem euroleague sampiyonu olarak bir ilke imza atar.

[BORA YAŞAR]

"Eğer 2009 Avrupa Şampiyonasına sözkonusu olduğunda, "şöhretlileriyle" iş yapacak bir ülke varsa o sa Türkiyedir" diye başlıyor bu yazı. Fiba Europe sitesinden aldım. Paul Nilsen'in bir analizi.

İngilice bilenlere..(Kusura bakmayın. Bu kadar yazıyı tercüme etmek baya bir iş.)



http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_4c82tq1rJxA-felY38Bcc2.container_frontpage.articleMode_on.html


If there is one country who are on a mission to prove they can live with the favourites when it comes to EuroBasket 2009 in Poland then perhaps it is Turkey.

A multitude of reasons dictate that this is one team with their eyes focused firmly on making a lasting impression.

They fell well below expectations during EuroBasket 2007 in Spain, managing just two wins from eight games while European eyes are slowly turning towards the East as the country continues its preparations to host the FIBA World Championships in 2010.

In fact the next two years in particular could be some of the most important in the history of the Turkish national team.


Hidayet Türkoglu was the natural leader for Turkey in their effort to qualify for EuroBasket 2009
That newly found focus and determination was evident during Division A qualification when Bogdan Tanjevic coached his team to a perfect 6-0 record, emerging unscathed as the only team from all four of the qualifying groups who remained unbeaten.

One special reason to be hopeful that the form and momentum from the summer continues into EuroBasket 2009 is that Turkey have a real wealth of talent and in Ersan Illyasova, one of the potential stars of the tournament.

Drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks where he spent some time in the NBA, the big man is now in his second season with Euroleague giants Barcelona and looking hugely impressive - in stark contrast to his first year.

Perhaps initially overawed by the pressure of being a relatively inexperienced player on one of the best rosters in Europe, playing in the intensely competitive Spanish league, Ilyasova had a rotten start to life in CatalOnia.

Pressured by being reputed to being one of the highest earners in Europe, he turned up at Palau Blaugrana and was pitched into a situation where the demands of playing for Barca and producing from day one didn't exactly pan out as he, or his former Coach Dusko Ivanovic quite expected.

However February of this year proved to be a watershed for the player. Having played only a handful of minutes during the Copa Del Rey tournament, one of the highlights of the ACB calendar, he was being under utilised by Ivanovic, looked short of confidence and every facet of his game remained under close scrutiny by those observers expecting far grander things.

Barca failed miserably in the Copa and only a few days later, Dusko Ivanovic was no longer head coach and at that precise moment, few could have predicted the remarkable return to prominence that Ilyasova would make in the nine months that has followed.

With the shackles removed and no longer feeling stifled, Ilyasova has flourished under new play-caller Xavi Pascual, helping Barca reach the ACB play-off Finals and establishing himself as one of the most pivotal players in a stacked team currently challenging for domestic and European titles.

Much of the confidence gleaned from working with Pascual towards the end of the last domestic season was clearly evident during the summer months when Ilyasova was a standout player in the Division A Qualifying Round.

He led his team with 13 points and almost 8 rebounds but interestingly he not only showed his touch around the basket but also finally showed his prowess from the perimeter with ten triples from just twenty attempts.

Indeed he continues to develop in the ACB league and in Euroleague as a big man who is happy to step outside and this development in the game of Ilyasova could certainly prove to be a potent weapon for Turkey when they tip-off their campaign against Bulgaria in Wroclaw.

Some people of course will naturally suggest that having had NBA time, it is not quite correct to play the card that hints of him as some kind of rookie both in Europe and internationally but this is more about a player making great strides on a fascinating journey, so early in his career.

Of course Ilyasova isn't the only reason that Turkey will be one of the strongest teams in the competition and particularly in the paint. For Coach Tanjevic can call upon plenty of players with power, touch and size to help win games.

Looking back at the qualification campaign, Turkey managed to beat Tony Parker and France in front of 6,000 partizan home fans in Limoges without their legendary Orlando Magic guard Hidayet Turkoglu.

That was largely down to their strength in depth in the forward spots rather than any overriding necessity for quality in the guard spots.

The likes of Euroleague team Efes Pilsen boasts Kerem Gonlum, also hugely impressive during the summer while the irrepressible Kaya Peker who did not play during qualification showed last week exactly what he still has in his locker.

Peker helped keep the Euroleague dream alive for Efes Pilsen with 19 points and 9 rebounds in a crucial win over AJ Milano and if he returns to the national team then you can add hard nosed experience into the mix.

Across the pond in the NBA, Turkoglu continues to shine for the Magic and if he shows the same kind of commitment to the team as he did in qualification, then he will be the heartbeat of this Turkey team from the backcourt.

However, if you want to enjoy watching a player finally realising his potential with every single minute on court as we head towards EuroBasket 2009 in Poland, look no further than Ersan Ilyasova.

He could just be the main ingredient in a large slice of Turkish delight next September.