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Efes has been busy building a team worthy of Coach Can’s vision

Efes has been busy building a team worthy of Coach Can’s vision

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27 June 20234 Mins read

Frankie Sachs

Tyrique Jones is one of the star arrivals at Anadolu Efes Istanbul so far this summer.

No team in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague has been busier in terms of sculpting its look for the 2023-24 season over that past week than Anadolu Efes Istanbul. After winning consecutive crowns in 2021 and 2022, the team failed to reach the playoffs last season. However, Efes does not want to see that happen again and before the calendar has even reached July, Efes has hired a new coach, extended three key players' contracts and signed four newcomers.

So, what can we expect from the new-look Efes in the coming season? It may all start with Erdem Can, the 2022-23 7DAYS EuroCup Coach of the Year. Just 42 years of age, Can has spent most of his career as an assistant coach, learning from some masters. He sat beside coach Zeljko Obradovic for all seven of the Serbian's seasons with Fenerbahce Istanbul and after that went overseas to experience something different as an assistant to Quin Snyder with the Utah Jazz in the NBA.

Among the principles of Can's coaching philosophy are to build a structure based on the players' talents, to emphasize proper movement and spacing to maximize offensive efficiency and to play relentless defense. With that in mind, the roles for the players signed by Efes over the past week start to make a lot of sense.

First, the extensions. Elijah Bryant and Rodrigue Beaubois are ideal two-way players for Can. They are good shooters who help space the floor, can go aggressively to the basket and are tough on the defensive end. The third player who re-signed, Erten Gazi, has not made a major impact on the offensive side of the ball in his two seasons with Efes, but is a pest defensively who should flourish in that role under Can.

Then there are the newcomers. The biggest names are Derek Willis and Tyrique Jones, who may serve as the starting frontcourt. Willis, a power forward, comes off a great season in the EuroCup in which he averaged 12.9 points and 5.0 rebounds for Umana Reyer Venice. More than the raw numbers, though, was his elite shooting, Willis netted 58.8% of his two-pointers, 47.5% of his threes and 90.7% of his free throws. He instantly becomes a weapon who will both benefit from the shooters and slashers around him as well as create space for them with his inside-outside game.

Jones, who like Willis will debut in the EuroCup this season, is a dominant force inside. The shooters around him should help create space for Jones and when his man is forced to switch onto one of the guards, Jones is always a threat to go airborne for an alley-oop. He was among the EuroCup leaders in rebounding last season, which is a skill that should translate, too. What's more, Jones played for Can last season at Turk Telekom and was the Turkish League MVP, so he should hit the ground running at Efes.

Versatile forward Erkan Yilmaz, who also arrives from Turk Telekom, and Dogus Ozdemiroglu both bring the type of toughness that Can loves to see. Ozdemiroglu, in particular, should not be overlooked. His scoring average rose in each of the last six seasons with Darussafaka Istanbul, culminating with 14.5 points, 6.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game in the Turkish League. A former EuroCup champion, Ozdemiroglu has two years of EuroLeague experience under his belt and could have a key role.

These players join a team that has superstars Shane Larkin and Will Clyburn returning, too. At nearly all times, the 2023-24 version of Efes should have at least four top defenders, four deep shooting threats and three ball-handlers on the floor. Can will lead an experienced group and, if the new guys can jell quickly and the right chemistry forms, we should see the winning plan that Can envisions play out on basketball courts all across Europe.