Mehmet Okur Addition Will Be Great for Utah Jazz Big Men
By Ryan Aston
@mrmarykateolsen
NBAE/Getty Images
Late last week, it was revealed that former Utah Jazz big man Mehmet Okur would be joining his old team as a special coach/consultant. Okur, a one-time NBA All-Star who was one of the better shooting bigs in the game for several seasons, will be on hand when the team officially begins training camp in the coming days.
At former head coach Tyrone Corbin‘s behest, Karl Malone participated in Jazz training camp in a similar fashion last fall, working with Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter and other Utah big men. Okur’s addition this season could be especially beneficial for Kanter, who the Jazz hope can develop into a consistent jump shooter and perhaps even a threat from three-point range.
With Quin Snyder now at the helm, Utah’s offensive system will be heavily reliant on movement, spacing and players’ ability to capitalize on advantages and knock down shots. Kanter is a proven commodity in the post, but Snyder’s offense will feature many sets where the post should be empty, negating some of Kanter’s ability in this area. Kanter will need to expand his offensive game to increase his effectiveness in the new system, as will the other frontcourt players on the roster.
For most of his decade-long career, Okur was an elite-level shooter from the center position. He connected on nearly 38 percent of his three-point attempts over the course of that career, and the Jazz are hoping some of that shooting prowess can rub off on Kanter and other bigs like Favors, Trevor Booker and Jeremy Evans.
How much time he will be able to spend working with the team is unknown at this point; as of now, Okur doesn’t appear to have a set title or schedule with the team. However, there are some certainties where Okur is concerned. He’s a high-character individual, a hard-worker, one of the greatest players in team history and any time he gets with Utah’s current squad is time well-spent for the Jazz.
Ryan Aston covers the Utah Jazz for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @MrMaryKateOlsen or add him to your network on Google.
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