Philadelphia 76ers: Making A Case For Evan Turner
Dec 14, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Evan Turner (12) brings the ball up court during the first quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Being a high draft pick brings pressure. There’s no getting around that. After teams have struggled all season long, a player picked in the lottery offers hope to a fan base. This pressure is multiplied 10 fold when playing in a city like Philadelphia.
For Evan Turner, the expectations and hope were things he felt he was worthy of. A stud in college, Turner was the guy many thought would make the biggest impact in the NBA out of the 2010 draft.
Simply put: The Evan Turner experience has not been an enjoyable one. During the first two years of his NBA career, Turner played in the shadow of All-Star swingman Andre Iguodala. As a result, the former Buckeye never really found a role. At college, he would be the playmaker, the dominant scorer and the best wing defender. In the NBA, he was none of these things.
An adjustment was needed by Turner, but never happened.
Prior to last season, Andre Iguodala was traded. Surely now the lightbulb would flick on in Turner’s mind. Surely now would he become the player we saw in college.
It didn’t happen. With Iggy gone, it was Jrue Holiday that emerged as the leader of the team. Turner struggled all season — shooting less than 42 percent from the field and committing 2.3 turnovers per game.
With all that being said … I still have a slither of faith in Evan Turner. I still believe in the kid. And here’s why.
Doug Collins has never been a great coach for player development. Photo by Keith Allison/Flickr.com
Doug Collins is Gone
I could write a book on why Doug Collins is not the right coach for Evan Turner, but it would be too long and it would have too many expletives in it. I’ll paraphrase: Doug Collins has a win-now, don’t-care-for-the-future mentality. He doesn’t care about developing players and wants his team playing risk-free, inefficient, low-turnover basketball. That works for a guy like Thaddeus Young — a high energy, slightly less-skilled player — but with Turner it’s the wrong way to go.
Brett Brown is in the building
New head coach Brett Brown has worked with the San Antonio Spurs; first as the director of player development and later as an assistant coach. He was the head of developing players. The Spurs develop young players like no other franchise. This can only be good news for Evan Turner.
Adjustment of Expectations
Coming out of college, Evan Turner needed to make some adjustments. He was no longer the best player and the alpha dog. Now, it’s us that needs to make the adjustment. Sure, Turner was a No. 2 pick, but with how his career has panned out thus far — it will still be viewed as a solid pick if he can become the third option on a competitive team. Let’s not expect too much.
Jrue’s Gone — Who’s Left?
Jrue Holiday has been traded. There is no one to take the spotlight away from Turner now. Or at least, no one in the back-court. Nerlens Noel will draw a lot of attention and comes with a lot of pressure, but aside from him, there isn’t a lot of talent on this roster. He’ll have the ball when he wants it. He’s the first option on this team. Let’s see what he can really do.
Final Thoughts
Having made all of the points in favor of Evan Turner, it wouldn’t surprise me if Sam Hinkie turns around tomorrow and trades him. But should he decide to keep him, it could just be one of the better moves he makes. Yes, he’s been poor for three seasons, but so have the Sixers. They’ve played ugly, inefficient basketball. Get it up and down the floor in Evan Turner’s hands and let’s see what he can really do. You might just regret it if you don’t give him a chance.