Ersan Ilyasova
World Cup stat line: 16.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.0 blocks, .364/.333/.909
It all went wrong so suddenly for Turkey that it’d be easy to forget that through two games Ersan Ilyasova looked like one of the leading contenders for World Cup MVP honors.
Ilyasova was outstanding against Japan and the USA, before he endured an ill-timed shooting horror show against the Czech Republic in a loss that ultimately led to Turkey’s shock first round elimination.
That 0-of-9 shooting effort, which also tanked his shooting percentages, may well haunt Ilyasova for some time — just as the missed free throws late against the US will haunt two of his teammates — but he should take solace in the level of play he reached as a go-to option in the two games that preceded it.
Ilyasova could possibly have further built on his 19 points and 10 rebounds effort against Japan, and his 23 points and 14 rebounds against the USA, but he was shut down for Turkey’s two classification games meaning he played just three games in total.
That early end is by no means a bad thing for the Bucks, though, and the hope will be that Ilyasova can bring some of his World Cup best with him into the new NBA season too.
Final grade: B+