17 year old Cengiz didn’t put up huge numbers in the FIBA U18 European Championship but impressed me in many ways. He spent last season as a player of Gelişim Koleji and managed to take the team to Turkish Youth League (BGL) playoffs, averaging 17.4 points, 6.2 assists and 3.5 steals a game. He showed his potential amongst future stars in Izmir and as recently announced, he is going to play for TOFAŞ next season. U18 European Championship was an important experience for him physically and mentally. He averaged 5.4 points, 3.7 assists (team high) and 1.9 steals per game.

STRENGTHS

Creative point guard who can provide the playmaking needs of a team

Impressive court vision which helps him constantly find the open man

Promising on-ball defender who has decent timing on deflections and steals

Can become an underrated shot blocker against his matchups in the future

Good basketball IQ, especially on offence. Knows where to receive the ball and operate the PnR

Dynamic driver who can both finish with his rich layup package and dish out passes that end up with 3-point shots

A potential human highlight reel who loves hitting important shots, dishing no-look dimes and electrifying crowds with nasty crossovers

WEAKNESSES

Average physical profile at the moment at around 6’1

Not very athletic, can’t finish comfortably around big men and decent shot blockers

Not a reliable shooter yet, could change with faster and more ‘gentle’ shot mechanics in the near future

Lacks awareness on the defensive end with instant rotations and off-ball situations

Not mentally strong enough for pro level at the moment. Missed 2 open layups in 2 games and wanted to get subbed out after the second one. Gets frustrated with himself too often.

OUTLOOK

Cengiz is one of the most skilled 2005-born point guards in Europe who has a lot of moves in his bag. Once he gains more muscle and develops his athleticism, good things will happen for his career. He’ll keep learning how to lead, be more vocal on the court and shoot better. Cengiz led the Turkish team in assists, averaging 3.7 in the FIBA U18 European Championship in 21.4 minutes which is 4th most in the team. He brings so much creativity on offensive end, while his defensive skills have a lot of room for improvement and he can be really, really good at it. His ceiling is hard to figure out but I can easily see him starting for a Basketball Super League team that also competes in Europe.