For two seasons, his solely two NBA seasons, there seemingly all the time has been a cause from the Miami Heat to not play Omer Yurtseven.
The exception was when beginning heart Bam Adebayo tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his proper thumb final season and was sidelined seven weeks.
That additionally was when Yurtseven was distinctive, loading up on double-doubles and setting Heat rookie data for scoring and rebounding within the course of.
Otherwise, there was the Heat’s capability final season to go undersized with P.J. Tucker within the center.
The veteran presence of Dewayne Dedmon the previous two seasons.
The emergence this season of two-way participant Orlando Robinson.
And, then, the addition of veteran huge man Cody Zeller final month on the buyout deadline.
But as Yurtseven labored his means again from November ankle surgical procedure, the panorama already was altering.
Tucker already had been misplaced to the Philadelphia 76ers in free company final summer season.
Dedmon was struggling along with his play and a foot damage to the diploma that he was offloaded on the February buying and selling deadline at the price of an hooked up second-round decide.
And Robinson’s allotment of NBA days on his two-way contract dwindled to 4, now once more enjoying within the G League.
So now, with Zeller struggling a damaged nostril in Saturday evening’s additional time street loss to the Orlando Magic, it could seem that Yurtseven’s time has come.
“There’s a lot that I can help with,” the 6-foot-11 member of Turkey’s nationwide crew mentioned.
The expectations usually are not, or at the very least shouldn’t be, something near what Yurtseven, 24, was in a position to produce final season. This time, the position shall be augmenting Adebayo, who averages 35 minutes a sport, with coach Erik Spoelstra nonetheless reluctant to play twin facilities collectively.
But at the very least now there’s a gap that wasn’t there when Dedmon was practical, when Robinson was competing, when Zeller was offering a spark.
Yurtseven’s first name of the season got here when he entered within the closing seconds of Saturday’s first quarter.
“I mean, obviously I was looking forward to it. I was trying to be ready no matter what,” he mentioned of his 2022-23 debut. “Really wanted to win, wanted to do everything that I could to help us.”
Instead, there have been two restricted stints, about three-plus minutes apiece, in every half in Orlando, closing with one missed shot, no factors and one rebound, held out for the ultimate 19 minutes.
“It’s still an adjustment,” Yurtseven mentioned, with the Heat dealing with the Utah Jazz on Monday evening at Miami-Dade Arena. “It was my first time out there and the initial part felt different, something that I’m not used to. But I think the second time that I went in, I was just on pace, on speed and it felt a whole lot better.”
Prior to being activated by the Heat final Monday there have been a pair of appearances with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, to get him in control.
Then he was bypassed for 3 video games whereas on the lively roster, with Spoelstra staying with Zeller.
“It’s just about staying ready,” Yurtseven mentioned.
Then the Zeller possibility was misplaced, at the very least for the brief time period, relying on the magic of recent masks.
“There’s definitely a battle in being able to, I guess, get to this point and be pain free and just go 100 percent out there,” Yurtseven mentioned.
As an impending free agent, Yurtseven’s NBA future doubtless shall be extra just like the present reserve position at hand than the beginning breakthrough he had final season.
That has him appreciating this time and place.
“Go out there and compete,” he mentioned. “I imply that’s the position, and being about to rebound, set screens, completely different pick-and-rolls, and all of it, having the ability to do all of it. And getting guys open I believe is just like the No. 1 factor.
“I think I can help our offense, get our offense more offensive rebounds. There’s a lot that I can help.”
Now seemingly with nobody standing in his means.
“I think every time,” he mentioned, “is going to be exponentially better.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com