I have not detected much excitement around the league for Furkan “Motherfurker” Aldemir. Come on people. He’s foreign! There’s supposed to be a never-silent contingent of Turkish fans hyping him at every turn.
Maybe hype is reserved for players who are either good right now or could be good in the future. Furkan, well, just doesn’t seem all that valuable of a player right now, and doesn’t project to be one unless I’m missing something. He rebounds pretty well, I acknowledge (his other nickname is supposedly “Mr. Rebound” but I really prefer “Motherfurker” or even “Furk You”). Grabbing boards is a good skill to have, but unless you’re elite defensively, you can’t afford to score as little as he does. His previous career high before tonight’s Aldemiracle? Four.
I shouldn’t be so hard on him. 11 and 10 is verging on “legit” territory, and he’s got a few more games coming where he will start and get minutes. Another highlight-worthy performance is not out of the question, which is surprising considering this one means he has already exceeded expectations.