Hidayet Turkoglu was the League MVP in 2003-2004

**ShoogarBear** · 03-09-2007

The actual articles can't be found anymore but were reposted on kingsfans.com: http://www.kingsfans.com/forums/arch...php/t-661.html

http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishp...s.asp?ID=31512

Hidayet Turkoglu named Most Valuable Player of NBA 2003-2004 season

CihanNews: 10/22/2004

ISTANBUL (CIHAN) - Turkish star player Hidayet Türkoglu was named as the MVP (most valuable player) of the NBA 2003-2004 season, in a recent survey carried out by expert Jeff Sagarin and professor Wayne Winston.

Hedo Turkoglu, who played for San Antonio Spur last season, ranked first, outshining all other NBA stars, to become MVP for the season, showed the survey carried out by Wayne L. Winston, a professor of decision sciences at Indiana University and his friend Jeff Sagarin, a professional sports statistician.

Sagarin and Winston have formulated a ranking that is similar to hockey's plus-minus system, in which players receive credits for being in the game when their team does well. Whether they actually score points or grab rebounds does not matter.

Hidayet was followed by Toronto Raptors' Vince Carter, by Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Garnett, by Sacramento Kings' Brad Miller and his old teammate Emanuel Ginobili. Hidayet will play for Orlando Magic this season.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sport...coll=orl-magic

Turkoglu's versatility valuable to Magic
By Brian Schmitz | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted October 21, 2004

BILOXI, Miss. -- What does billionaire Mark Cuban, a Jeopardy! champion and a creator of a computerized college-football poll have in common with Hedo Turkoglu?

They all inspired the birth of a quirky rating system that identified Turkoglu, who the Orlando Magic signed this summer, as the most valued player in the NBA last season.

That's right. Not Shaq or Kobe or Kevin Garnett, but Turkoglu.

After averaging just 9.2 points per game for the San Antonio Spurs, the Magic signed him to a six-year, $39 million free-agent deal. Some say they overspent.

Why the to-do over Turkoglu?

Well, in the ratings system developed by Jeff Sagarin and Wayne Winston, a player's value to his team is measured by more than mere points. Factored in are stuff such as chasing loose balls, taking charges and playing off-ball defense, intangibles overlooked by most traditional stats.

Their 2003-04 rankings: 1. Turkoglu 2. Vince Carter. 3. Garnett. 4. Brad Miller. 5. Manu Ginobili.

Sagarin is known as the father of USA Today's computer college-football ratings. Winston is an Indiana University professor and a past Jeopardy! champ. They were math whizzes years ago at MIT and combined their love of computers, statistics and sports.

Cuban, the rebel owner of the Dallas Mavericks, was a student in Winston's math class at Indiana. When they ran into each other at a Mavs' game four years ago, Cuban asked Winston how his team could be improved.

Winston had an epiphany while lounging at his Dallas hotel pool, and the "Winval" rankings system was born. It is modeled after hockey's plus-minus system, in which players are evaluated on how their team performs when they are on the ice.

Magic General Manager John Weisbrod, a former NHL player and a big believer in team dynamics, had seen such reports on Turkoglu and his multifaceted game.

"I'm a little unorthodox, too," Weisbrod said. "I put emphasis on things that not everybody else does. Turkoglu rated out very, very high."

After doing his own detective work, Weisbrod decided that the 6-foot-10 forward could bring a lot more to the floor than raw numbers.

That's why the Magic aren't panicking over the preseason shooting slump that Turkoglu lugs into tonight's game against the New Orleans Hornets. He has missed 20 of 28 shots (29 percent) and averaged six points in four games. Then again, he's had to adjust to many new players who don't know his nuances.

"I can't think about every miss and every make," said Turkoglu, who ranked eighth (41.9 percent) in 3-point shooting last season. "What I think is that there's a next day coming. I will make shots. I look for something else to do in the game. Rebound, get steal, pass."

It's not surprising that Turkoglu admired the all-around game of the recently retired Scottie Pippen, "because he can do so many things and hurt you in many ways. He did more things for his team than just score."

The Magic pursued Turkoglu not only for his versatility, but because he's just 25. After three seasons in Sacramento and another in San Antonio, he was looking for a full-time starting job, and the Magic needed small-forward insurance.

They were rebuilding the team as if Grant Hill wouldn't regain his health. But Hill's left ankle has held up so far, leaving Turkoglu playing behind the six-time all-star.

"Grant's doing great," Turkoglu said. "I am grateful for that because even if you play the same position, you never want to see anybody get hurt."

Turkoglu grew up in Istanbul and became the first Turkish-born player to reach the NBA. When he signed as the Kings' first-round pick in 2000, local television in Turkey was pre-empted to carry his news conference.

Turkoglu started playing at age 10 at a middle school near his home. His parents never worried about him getting into trouble. They always knew where to find him - at the school, shooting, shooting and shooting some more.

"They'd have to come get me if it was dark," Turkoglu said. "I didn't want to leave."

**angel_luv** · 03-09-2007

Turkoglu grew up in Istanbul and became the first Turkish-born player to reach the NBA. When he signed as the Kings' first-round pick in 2000, local television in Turkey was pre-empted to carry his news conference.

That's pretty awesome.