Portland Trail Blazers: 3 takeaways from win over Indiana Pacers

1. Turner has found his niche

After struggling most of last season, Evan Turner has definitely started the 2017-18 season on the right foot. Coach Terry Stotts said early in October that he was committed to better utilizing Turner’s talents as a point forward, and it’s worked out thus far in the season.

Playing against the Suns, Turner finished with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal in 25 minutes. Additionally, he shot 4-of-8 from the field, 1-of-1 from behind the arc and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.

Turner was again rather efficient against the Pacers, shooting 7-of-12 from the field, 1-of-2 from behind the arc and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe. In addition to his 17 points and 3 assists, he also tallied 2 rebounds and 1 block.

Next: 30 reasons to be excited for the 2017-18 NBA season

As one of the primary ball handlers on the team, Turner has found his fit with the Blazers, and we should all expect that he’ll only continue to develop as the season wanes on. The storyline to watch in that instance: how does Shabazz Napier fit if Turner becomes the shot caller in the second unit.