Gaziantep, a new basketball city in Turkey

In Turkey, we have a new Basketball city: Gaziantep. They were promoted from the second league last year and after the first half of the TBL season, Royal Hali Gaziantep BSB is impressing me a lot. All the basketball fans' eyes are on Gaziantep since the arrival of the Euroleague champs and former NBA Joey Dorset.. After adding Dorsey to roster, Gaziantep also parted ways with coach Dogan Deniz. Cem Akdag, ex-Galatasaray coach, took the helm of the team.

After the arrival of coach Akdag, Gaziantep made two more additions: Hakan Demirel and Lorenzo Gordon Isaiah Swann (averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists), Charles Rhodes (averaged 14.5 points, 6.4 rebounds), Yunus Cankaya (averaged 5.4 points, 1.9 points, 1.6 rebounds) and Lorenzo Gordon didn't played against Anadolu Efes due to injuries during last game. But they never gave up against an Euroleague team as Efes. Newcomer Hakan Demirel finished the game with 16 points-4 rebounds-4 assists. I like what I see from Hakan. Turkish players mean lot for that team. Hope he will continue like that.

Maybe they will not keep Joey Dorsey in their roster next year. But with great coach, great sponsor, great fans and great board they will likely reach their targets. 

President of the Royal Hali Gaziantep BSB, Metin Uzer, told me they will work on their youth teams next year. "With coach Cem Akdag, youth teams mean lot for us. Honestly we don't have time this year. But I can promise we will work on our youth teams next year." said Uzer.