The Miami Heat Summer League squad has been full of surprises, and all coming from undrafted players. When it comes to scouting, Miami has a feel of acquiring missed talents that can develop quite nicely under this organization. Few pan out but when they do, Miami unleashes their full potential. The main standout, so far, has to be the Turkish center Omer Yurtseven and with good reasoning after the first two games.
There had been a lot of speculation as to whether the 7-foot center would be a consideration for the roster at all after realizing Miami Heat’s lineup moving forward will have Bam Abedayo taking that position. After back-to-back lights-out performances, it was basically a no-brainer.
Will young center Omer Yurtseven of the Miami Heat find any luck playing alongside Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt this year?
Yurtseven, or as my new favorite hashtag moving forward will be known as #YURTSZN, blew up the boards in their first game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He led the Heat with 27 points and 19 rebounds to seal the deal in an 80-78 defensive battle. The only negative aspect of his summer league debut was his seven turnovers.
Game 2 came along and Yurtseven’s motivation and hustle remained unmatched as he finished with 25 points, eight rebounds, and only three turnovers in a 97-87 win over the Golden State Warriors. Shortly after that, Miami knew they had a unique gem in their hands that could be molded into a position that had honestly lacked skill for years. That was all they needed to see as they quickly signed him to a two-year, $3.5 million dollar contract. A well-deserved reward for a hot start.
Now that he is on the official 15-man roster, will he be awarded playing time, and when? It’s all too soon to predict, but if given the opportunity, I think shifting Bam back to power forward, Omer can excel with an NBA All-Star and Olympic Gold Medal champion at his side.
The 2021-2022 NBA season will start with an inevitable lineup of Kyle Lowry, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, PJ Tucker, and Bam Adebayo. Coach Erik Spoelstra will however find himself with a variety of small to big lineup changes if he decides to experiment with a Butler, Bam, and Yurtseven lineup. There won’t be much to lose honestly. Omer has proven himself, in a short time, to be a very skilled shooting big man that is versatile and can switch on pick and roll situations. His defense definitely needs more work but that’s where a skilled defensive menace like Bam comes into play.
His shooting can also facilitate their half-court offense. He was shooting 54.1 percent (20-of-37) from the field in summer league while notching an astonishing 45.5 percent from 3-point range. This coming all from a 7-foot center. Can he sustain this will be the true Heat Culture test? If anything, his rebounding effort will be key for those second chance opportunities since the Miami Heat ranked dead last season with 10.1 points per game.
Heat President Pat Riley had some words of praise for the Turkish rookie.
Pat Riley, after announcement of Omer Yurtseven signing just now:“Ӧmer is one of Adam Simon’s great finds for our club.He will be a great developmental center/power forward to play alongside Bam, and has shown his willingness to commit to the work needed to get to the next level"
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) August 7, 2021
Time will tell if the Heat will entertain a Bam-Yurtseven combo, but if Bam excels more in the power forward position, then Omer can be the complementary touch to his offensive magnitude. Similar to how the Los Angeles Lakers would roll out an Anthony Davis – Javale McGee or Anthony Davis – Dwight Howard defensive duo down low in the 2020 NBA Finals, Bam and Yurtseven can also facilitate that same tactic. It will be a learning curve for Yurtseven, but it can fill a gap that desperately needs to close.