Miami Heat's Omer Yurtseven Also Skipping International Competition

Yurtseven joins Nikola Jovic in passing on playing for their national teams next month

Center Omer Yurtseven has also chosen to work out with the Miami Heat next couple months instead of playing for his country's national team. 

Yurtseven will remain in Miami, bypassing the opportunity to play for the Turkish national team next month according to the website Eurohoops.net. 

He joins rookie Nikola Jovic in declining invites to represent their country. Jovic was supposed to play for the Serbian team. Both will continue to work on their games with the Heat coaching staff. 

Last year Yurtseven averaged 5.3 points and 5.2 rebounds as a rookie. 

“I want to be here [in Miami],” he said at his exit interview in June after the Heat were eliminated by the Boston Celtics. “I got better here … I feel like my team and staff believe in me and feel I’ll get better here.”

Yurtseven had a consecutive streak of four games with at least 16 rebounds, the longest since Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal in 1992-93. The Heat still think he can reach another level in their developmental program. 

He’s big and he’s quick on his feet, so he’s got some athleticism and tools," Heat summer league coach Malik Allen said last month. "He can do that. He’s going to rebound the ball. He can do that. It’s just a matter of how can we make an impact before the shot actually goes up."

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