If no Asik for Turkey, who will replace him?

ISTANBUL (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - With Omer Asik on the mend from a mysterious infection, who can Turkey count on this summer at FIBA EuroBasket 2017 should the giant center not recover?

Former coach Bogdan Tanjevic introduced Asik to the international basketball scene at EuroBasket 2009 and ever since, the pivot that a former Chicago Bulls commentator once nicknamed "Asik and Destroy" has been arguably the national team's most important player.

Imagine what it's been like for the Turkish national team coaches the past several years - Tanjevic, Orhun Ene and Ergin Ataman - to know that one of the world's premier centers would be patrolling the paint at major tournaments. 

Ufuk Sarica, installed as Turkey's new coach in January, right now doesn't know if he'll have the country's biggest weapon at FIBA EuroBasket 2017 because of a bacterial infection that has cut short the New Orleans Pelicans center's season.

The "Turkish Hammer" is doing everything he can to regain the weight he has lost the past couple of months, and the strength, in order to spearhead Turkey's bid to reach the podium in Istanbul, yet Sarica won't know for some time if he'll be ready. If he doesn't make it, then what?

There will be other bigs in the team at Sarica's disposal but without a doubt, Turkey will have to make some tactical adjustments. The new coach may, in fact, be tempted to go small at the FIBA EuroBasket.

Which players are taking center stage with Asik's status uncertain ahead of a Group Phase campaign that will see Sarica's side take on Russia, Belgium, Great Britain, Serbia and Latvia? 

 Semih Erden

Erden started when Asik couldn't play at FIBA EuroBasket 2015

Erden is one of the most experienced players on the roster. He made his senior team bow in 2004 and played at the 2006 and 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cups. After reaching the 2010 World Cup Final, Erden crossed the Atlantic to play in the NBA but that adventure didn't go well. He's never lived up to the lofty expectations surrounding him, yet at 30 years of age, Erden still has time to take his game to a higher level and the team that hopes he does is Turkey.

Oguz Savas

Savas had 9 points against the USA at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup

Savas is among the most experienced players in Turkish basketball. He is an intelligent player that is comfortable starting or coming off the bench. The 29-year-old, passionate about putting on the national team jersey, was one of Turkey's best players at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. When he plays well, so do Turkey. At that event in Spain, Savas had 16 points in just 12 minutes in an opening day victory over New Zealand and 15 points in 24 minutes in a crunch win over the Dominican Republic. 

 Furkan Aldemir

One of Aldemir's biggest strengths is his tenacity on the boards

Furkan Aldemir averaged almost 16 rebounds per game at the 2011 U20 European Championship for Turkey, yet those numbers are far lower with the senior team. One reason why is that unlike his more youthful days, Aldemir, who is now 25, gets less minutes than he once did. But usually, if a player can do one thing exceptionally well, like rebound, that's reason enough to have him on the floor. The 2.08m power forward is most effective on offense when he is picking and rolling, or hovering around the low blocks, preparing to receive passes from the likes of Ali Muhammed. Expect him to be with the team and hopefully for Turkey's sake, they'll get solid production from a player who was so tantalizing that the Philadelphia 76ers once signed him.

Ersan Ilyasova

Ilyasova is a guaranteed source of points and a must-have for Turkey

Yet another player with a lot of experience, Ilyasova is a player that has to be on the court no matter what style of game the coach wants. Offensively, Ilyasova can hurt opponents in a myriad of ways. Averaging 13.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, Ilyasova's experience with the senior side dates back to 2006, when he logged big minutes under Tanjevic at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Without Asik at EuroBasket 2015, Ilyasova averaged more than 15 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Omer Yurtseven

Yurtseven has played for Turkey's youth sides

There is the tantalizing prospect that 18-year-old Yurtseven will put on the national team jersey this summer yet it would be a big ask to expect him to make the final roster. A huge talent, both literally at 2.13m in height and in terms of talent, it's probably too early for the giant to make the final cut. Yurtseven has been very productive for Turkey's youth teams. As a freshman at North Carolina State this season, he played for a bad Wolfpack team and had modest numbers yet there is no doubt about his potential. If Yurtseven did made the EuroBasket roster, he'd probably have no trouble understanding Sarica's tactics. As a freshman engineering major at State, he was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Men’s Basketball team.

Furkan Korkmaz

Korkmaz at the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila

The Banvit teenager isn't a forward or center, but a 2.00m shooting guard who can fly like an eagle and sting like a bee. All he needs is playing time, which is what he's been receiving in abundance since his mid-season switch from Anadolu Efes to Banvit. If Sarica were to play a small line-up, he's exactly the type of player that needs to be on the court. Athletic and long, Korkmaz will thrive if a game gets crazy and his defense will come to the fore. Korkmaz is showing at Banvit that he can do it all on offense. "For him to be 19, he's courageous," his Banvit teammate, Jordan Theodore, said to FIBA.com. "He isn't afraid to take the big shot. That's what I love about him. He just loves to play the game. He doesn't really talk to much. He's just out there working hard." Already drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers, there's no better time than the present, perhaps, than to cut Korkmaz loose with Turkey. Or at least give him a lot of minutes.

FIBA