Re: Semih Erden returns to practice
Not as recent as you wanted -- he was drafted #60 in the 2008 draft by the Celtics, so no draft profiles after that. He didn't sign with them until 2010.
2004 nbadraft.net
Strengths: Has a great combination of size, speed, agilty, and footwork... Incredibly long body, with a great wingspan ... Plays with tremendous energy, always plays at high level of intensity ... Runs the floor well, and is well suited for an up tempo game ... Has the type of toughness you want in an inside player ... Does not back down from anyone, as witnessed when he held his own facing Tim Duncan which was huge considering he was barely 18 at the time ...
Weaknesses: He's still very young and his game is very raw... Needs time to gain experience and develop better basketball skills ... Must get stronger, work on his offensive game ... Would greatly benefit to add a couple of reliable post moves, and some range to his shot ... He has very good potential but for now he remains a project, but a great prospect nonetheless ...
2007 nbadraft.net
Strengths: Arguably Turkeys top current prospect, Semih Erden offers a long and lean body frame with good athletic skills, long arms and good legs ... He can run the floor very well for a guy his size and has good agility and quickness ... Especially right handed, he also has penetration possibilities to go with decent hands and passing, as well as acceptable body balance ... Even enjoying a good rythm on his outside shot (3 pt range) with a high release, hell have to work hard to make his percentages rise, become confident in himself and gain confidence from teammates to shoot from the perimeter ... Considering his size, ballhandling and dribbling are surely acceptable, and his shotblocking as well due to a good leaping ability and solid timing.
Weaknesses: Most influenced by his often poor mentality are his defense and rebounding ... Although in both aspects his instincts and awareness arent bad, his lack of intensity and concentration dont allow him to be a steady intimidating force in the middle ... Does need some work on his timing when executing rotations and double teaming from help side ... It would also be interesting to see him bulk up and gain more arm strength ... Should also try to impose himself at the low post in half court offense, better developing his post moves.
Outlook: As far as Im concerned, the only person who can prevent Semih from being drafted is Semih Erden. The potential is undeniable, though at this point it appears he's wasting a good amount of his talent. Lets hope hes conscious enough of that and can tap into his outstanding potential.
Scouted: 23/11/2006 & 01/11/2007 FC Barcelona-Fenerbahce lker Istanbul (both dates same match up)
Draftexpress 2008
Still one of the most intriguing young big men on the Old Continent, Semih Erden is turning 22 years old this summer and, even if he’s slowly making some strides, has still yet to blossom into a real force on the court. He just finished his Euroleague season averaging 6.7 points and 4.3 rebounds, in about 20 minutes per game, which is a decent improvement from last season, although barely significant on a per-minute basis.
Just an inch short of seven feet, enjoying a long wingspan, nicely athletic, well-built, Erden shows a very promising physical profile. Meanwhile, in the skill department, he shows a bit of everything, but is far from mastering any particular move, while he hasn’t erased the doubts about his character and ability to stay focused on the game.
The best thing we can say about Erden’s offensive arsenal is that he’s pretty aggressive finishing around the rim, trying to secure his points with dunks, which makes sense since his touch around the basket is a bit inconsistent. He moves around the basket waiting for a defensive rotation that leaves him open on the paint, perhaps combining it with a cut at the right time, he also emerges active setting picks to roll inside, and can nicely run the floor, showing pretty solid hands to work with and always looking to hammer the rim.
Erden also frequently asks for the ball in the low post, but the rawness of his skills here becomes quite visible. He might eventually come up with a great move, but generally speaking he shows improvable footwork and limited ability to net his jump-hooks with either hand (he uses both, although he clearly feels more confident with his right). Still, he shows a willingness to mix it up inside, and doesn’t back away from contact.
Still potentially able to develop into a power forward (although he looks like much more of a center), Erden showcases his perimeter skills very rarely. His spot-up jumper is extremely inconsistent, as he can easily net a mid-range jumper and then air-ball the next attempt. He can also put the ball on the floor and attack his match-up, which had eventually ended up in a few phenomenal highlights (he’s a pretty coordinated guy), but he never showed any continuity and it seems like it’s even a rarer feature lately.
Defensively, he’s not an outstanding player, but neither looks a big liability. He’s quite a mobile big who can defend out of the paint and challenge his match-up’s driving attempts with mild success (providing they are not very quick). Still he looks more comfortable guarding the low post, where he can rely on his length and his body. He can take contact and he doesn’t often buy into fakes, keeping his position nicely. On the other hand, he’s a rather poor team defender, as his defensive rotations are timid and not aggressive enough. He’s neither a great intimidator despite his length, although he eventually can collect a block (he’s averaged almost one per game). Besides, you can sometimes see him looking disinterested in the game, like if it’s a great deal of work for him to react to what’s happening on the court. It also happens in the offensive end, where he sometimes hangs around with apparently no defined purpose.
Anyway, given the potential Erden brings to the table, he’s virtually a lock to be drafted, but his inconsistency will likely prevent him from hitting the first round.