Evan Turner has struggled to be the dominant force he was in college. Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com
Good news for the fans of the Philadelphia 76ers: The 2012-13 season is almost over. It has not been an easy one to watch for Philly fans, but it makes this offseason all the more important. There are many big decisions that face the front office of the Sixers — most notably involving Andrew Bynum — but not everything is about the former Los Angeles Laker.
Evan Turner‘s name has been thrown around in trade rumors for a while now and it seems as if the former Ohio State Buckeye has reached a crossroads in his career. He’s been in the league for three years now and has only shown flashes of brilliance, while generally looking like a shell of his former college self. Coming out of college, many touted him as a future All-Star; three years later– and zero All-Star appearances — we raise the question: Will he ever get to that level?
Turner has all the tools to be a successful player in the NBA. He possesses good handles, impressive size and attacks the glass very well. The Chicago-born swingman was the best player in college basketball and averaged 20.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and six assists per game — which is simply stunning, especially considering he fractured his back during college.
However, since being taken second by Philly, it just hasn’t clicked. During his first two seasons with the Sixers, Turner averaged 7.2 and then 9.4 points per game — yet many felt he performed poorly as Andre Iguodala was taking his minutes and more importantly, his spotlight.
This season Turner can have no such excuses, Iggy is gone. His scoring numbers have gone up, but that is due to the increased minutes he now gets. If we look at the per 36 numbers for a minute, we can see there has been only a very small jump in his production.
Turner just doesn’t seem to be able to replicate his college form to the professional game. Will that change come next season? I just can’t see it. He is not consistent enough. Some nights Turner will go out and shoot the ball well, stay involved and defend and rebound the ball well, yet the next night he will stand on the perimeter and take a passive role in the game. Inconsistent players do not generally make All Star Games and for that reason, I don’t see him ever being worthy of making the team.
To conclude, it could be time to trade Turner. If the Sixers really want to strip this team apart, getting Turner’s relatively large rookie deal off the books could be a start. However, there are two sides to every coin. Jrue Holiday was also a player that hadn’t really found consistency before this season and we all know the story that followed: Holiday went on to become the All-Star player we know today. Perhaps a coaching change could help Turner, as Doug Collins isn’t someone I feel helps young talent. Whatever the outcome, Evan Turner’s progression is something that could shape the direction of the Philadelphia 76ers for years to come.