Berke Atar

Turkish big man Berke Atar discusses his season and game at the FIBA U18 European Championship with accompanying video.



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Berke Atar, 7'0", 17.4 years old, Center, Banvit, Turkey

Strengths:
-Real seven footer with an impressive frame
-Mobile big man who runs the floor well and is fairly agile/nimble
-Moves off the ball intelligently. Knows how to present himself to his guards
-Has very soft hands and touch inside the paint. Catches virtually everything thrown his way.
-Difficult player for opposing big men to put a body on at this level. Carves out post-position effectively.
-Good footwork and body control around the basket. Uses shot-fakes, up and unders and spin moves to his advantage.
-Magnet for fouls inside the paint. Very difficult to keep off the block. Lived at the free throw line at the U18s. Attempted 40 free throws in just 99 minutes of action.
-Shows soft touch from the FT line. Made 70% of his attempts
-Capable of seeing the floor and passing the ball when motivated. Passes out of double teams.
-Turns the ball over at a fairly low rate relative to his usage
-Gravitates towards the offensive glass and has a knack for coming up with loose balls. Led the tournament by a wide margin with an outstanding 8.7 offensive boards per-40.

Weaknesses:
-Doesn't always play with the type of aggressiveness you might hope. Intensity level is lacking at times defensively
-Gives up deep post position. Allows himself to get backed down by weaker players. Lazy getting out on closeouts.
-Offers very little as a rim protector. Only blocked 3 shots in 99 minutes at the U18s.
-Not overly explosive from a standstill. Needs to load up to play above the rim.
-Doesn't want to use his left hand around the basket
-Very reactive to what's happening on the floor. Outwardly expressive to every non-call, missed shot, etc. Not a “next play” guy. Demonstrates poor body language when things aren't going his way.

Outlook: Atar played up a year as a 1999-born prospect, but nevertheless finished the tournament as the most productive per-minute player in attendance, at 29 points and 16 rebounds per-40 minutes, on 63% shooting. Somewhat old school with his back to the basket, non-shooting/rim-protecting style of play, when Atar is engaged and active he's an absolute handful to deal with at this level.

Berke Ragip Atar, 6'11, Center, Banvit, 1999

Strengths
-Good size for a center at 6'11. Has decent length
-Strong frame. Big upper body and thick calves
-Has some mobility. Relatively quick off his feet
-Comfortable operating inside the paint
-Soft touch around the basket. Swooping hook shots down the lane
-Soft, reliable hands. Catches everything thrown his way
-Moves off the ball well and presents himself for easy finishes
-Shows good timing on the offensive glass. 6.9 per-40 at the U17s. 6.8 career in 25 games in DX database
-Strong enough to hold his ground inside the post defensively. Doesn't allow other big men to back him down.

Weaknesses
-Average athlete. Not particularly explosive from a standstill
-Not the toughest big man you'll find
-Shies away from contact on both ends of the floor
-Needs to diversify his arsenal with his back to the basket. Heavily reliant on his size and strength advantage.
-Doesn't show much versatility offensively. Plays five feet and in.
-Struggles from free throw line. Career 49%.
-Energy level comes and goes. Disappears for long stretches
-Avoids his off hand on finishes
-Poor passer. Generated just two assists in 147 minutes in Zaragoza compared to 12 turnovers. Career 5/30 assist to turnover ratio in 25 games in DX database.
-Struggles to cover ground defensively, particularly when forced to step outside the paint. Slow laterally and somewhat lethargic moving his feet
-Highly reactive on the court. Complains to refs. Gets down on himself

Outlook Was able to assert his will inside the paint in Zaragoza, thanks to his superior size and strength. Had one especially great game against Canada in the quarterfinals with 28 points and 15 rebounds, absolutely dominating the undersized Canadians on the interior. Will need to continue to diversify his skill-level and become more consistent with his energy level and approach on both ends of the floor as the competition stiffens.