Going into this offseason, the Miami Heat only have five players who are guaranteed to be under contract next season. In addition, both Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala have team options.
Due to this, many fans are wondering how the team plans to fill out the roster. A majority of their money will go into re-signing Duncan Robinson, but past that there isn’t a ton of wiggle room.
However, the Miami Heat do have one player they can choose to bring back whose contract is non-guaranteed – Omer Yurtseven. He signed with the Heat on May 14, and Miami should definitely make sure to keep him around.
The 7-0 center played out of his mind in the G-League last season. He joined the Oklahoma City Blue on January 28 for the G-League bubble and played so well that the Heat signed him to a deal.
In 14 games he averaged 15.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks while shooting 61.7% from the field and 38.1% from deep. What’s even more impressive is that he only played 21.1 minutes per game.
While it was only the G-League, this type of efficient production is exactly what NBA teams should be looking for. If a big man can stretch the floor and play adequate defense, he should be able to find a job in the NBA.
Precious Achiuwa might be a solid option, but if the Miami Heat look to package him in a trade this summer, Yurtsven could provide solid backup center minutes.
That being said, he still needs to prove that he can play at an NBA level. What goals should the 23-year-old have going into next season?
With his size, Yurtseven could have the ability to overpower defenders. The Miami Heat need to coach him to play with more aggressiveness.
Omer Yurtseven is a pretty big guy. He’s a true seven-footer who’s listed at 275 lbs, which is even heavier than he was in college.
Goal #1: Be more aggressive
He seemingly backed up some muscle by the time he got to the G-League. Despite this, he fails to utilize this to his advantage.
Instead of attacking the rim with force, he chooses to settle for turnaround hook shots. It’s these little decisions that shine through when NBA scouts and coaches are watching.
Ever since his time in college he’s chosen to settle for mid-range shots and turnaround post moves instead of attacking the rim. Even when he’s going up against smaller defenders he chooses finesse over force.
This likely stems from the fact that he is a solid mid-range shooter. His ability to stretch the floor is one of his greatest strengths, but can also turn into a weakness at times.
The mid-range shot can be deadly when it allows the big man to space the floor in some situations. However, Yurtseven uses it as a go-to move even when he could easily overpower his defender in the post.
Yurtseven even needs to be more aggressive on the glass. He’s a decent positional rebounder but needs to combine that skill with his great size in order to truly dominate the glass.
He has to be more aggressive in every aspect of his game. If he can learn to do that, the Miami Heat might have stumbled upon a real gem.
Yurtseven has the physical traits to be an elite screener in the NBA. The Miami Heat just need to have him practice more pick n’ rolls.
Pick n’ rolls make up a large majority of NBA playbooks. There are just so many possibilities to be had when it’s run to perfection
Goal #2: More pick n’ rolls
That being said, Yurtseven doesn’t seem to have much experience being a screener in these scenarios. In college, the pick n’ roll game isn’t as prevalent, and in the G-League he didn’t seem to set screens too often.
Yurtseven prefers to sit in the post or on the perimeter and wait for plays to develop. While this isn’t necessarily the end of the world, with the body he has, he needs to get better at screening.
With his size and shooting abilities, the Miami Heat could turn him into an elite pick n’ pop threat. It all goes back to the last goal – he needs to be more aggressive.
Imagine running into a 7-0 tall, 275 lb man. That’s not an easy screen to get through, even for NBA players.
If Erik Spoelstra can train him to set hard, impactful screens, that would be super useful for the Heat. After the screen is set, there are plenty of possibilities to be had since he can shoot the ball well from deep.
It’s just a matter of getting more experience in pick n’ roll situations. The art of the pick n’ roll is an easy one to learn, but a hard art to master.
Yurtseven needs to prioritize mastering the art of setting screens. If he can do that, there will certainly be a job for him somewhere in the league.
Sometimes a goal doesn’t have to be complicated to make sense. The Miami Heat need to give Yurtseven some NBA experience so he can improve.
If this weren’t obvious enough already, Yurtseven’s top priority needs to be getting some NBA experience. He has yet to appear in an NBA game, so that’s the only logical first step.
Goal #3: Get some NBA experience
Luckily, he played against some legit NBA players in the G-League last year. He even played alongside some as well, as he was teammates with both Moses Brown and Aleksej Pokusevski on the OKC Blue.
That being said, no one he faced in the G-League compares to the competition he’ll face in the NBA. If the Miami Heat want him to provide quality minutes off the bench, he needs some practice against a higher level of competition.
Yurtseven will have a great opportunity to start getting NBA experience this summer. He’ll most likely be a part of Miami’s Summer League team in Las Vegas, which will give him his first chance to prove himself to Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra.
He’ll be able to play alongside Precious Achiuwa, KZ Okpala, and others. If he can separate himself from the pack, it would greatly improve his chances of earning real minutes next year.
Even if the Heat re-sign Dewayne Dedmon, having a third center option would be ideal. Yurtseven has to be on Spoelstra’s radar, it’s just a matter of getting the necessary experience.