G/F Evan "The Villain" Turner (2010 Naismith Winner)

[Buckskin86]

Turner thriving under the bright lights
May 1, 2012
TONY ANDRACKI

Evan Turner does not have a problem with his confidence.

The Chicago product stirred the pot prior to the start of the playoffs when he said the Sixers were "dodging a bullet" to draw the Bulls instead of the Heat.

He has been rewarded handsomely for those comments with a downpour of boos every time he has touched the ball in the first two games of the series in Chicago.

After Saturday's contest, Turner said the fans weren't getting to him and he proved it with a big game Tuesday night to help lead the Sixers to victory. His knack for playing the best in the biggest games has endeared him to his teammates and coaches.

"That's what I love about Evan," Sixers head coach Doug Collins said. "He feels like he's the best player in the gym. And I love that. I know he made some ill-timed comments and he gets booed every time he touched the ball. He's using that in a very positive way. A lot of guys would maybe cower away from that, but Evan has risen to the challenge."

With the Sixers down 1-0 in the series, the pressure was on, but Turner was up to the task.

"People always talk about guys disappearing in big moments," he said. "I never wanted to be that type of guy. When it comes to big games, I just want to play well, be there and help my teammates.

"It's the playoffs. Everything is intensified. You have to play with an edge...You have to raise the level of play."

cont..

http://www.csnchicago.com/basketbal...the-bright-lights?blockID=700660&feedID=10332

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4kkFMeHR-E"]Evan Turner talks after Sixers Game 2 win against the Chicago Bulls - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Impatient Sixer Turner can't wait to be a star
May 4, 2012

Evan Turner averaged 9.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game during the regular season. (US Presswire)

Evan Turner is a savior.

No, he?s a bust.

The coaches are jerking him around.

No, he needs to grow up.

The second-year guard/forward has inspired as much debate among 76ers fans this season as anybody on the roster. The pendulum has again swung in his favor this week, after a terrific 19-point, seven-rebound, six-assist performance in the Sixers? victory over the Bulls in Game 2 of the teams? first-round playoff series Tuesday night.

With Game 3 looming Friday night in the Wells Fargo Center, there?s no telling how this series turns out for Turner or the team. And no telling how his career might unfold.

Though he would like to know, and soon.

?Evan,? said assistant coach Michael Curry, ?wants to be a star yesterday.?

Turner doesn?t deny that, either.

?One of my brothers told me I don?t even like waiting for microwave popcorn,? he said. ?That?s how impatient I am.?

cont...

http://www.csnphilly.com/basketball...r-cant-wait-to-be-a?blockID=702078&feedID=704

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQz_p4oW7EE"]Sixers' Iguodala, Turner - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Updated: May 5, 2012
Evan Turner, Doug Collins Hit a High Point
By HOOPSWORLD

By (Evan) Turner?s admission, Friday marks a new high point in his relationship with his coach.

?I think it is a high point,? said Turner, who said that before he told the press, (Doug) Collins told the team Turner?s scrappy moment was the team?s play of the year. Turner, however, was more delighted with something else Collins did: called his number. ?The last two plays, he ran the play for me,? said Turner. ?As a player, that?s the big thing, that you can show me you have confidence in me. Thankfully he did that. ? It was pretty cool. He had confidence in me to give me the ball in crucial parts of the game.?

Is it a permanent change? Who knows. ?Doug definitely rolls with the hot hand,? said Turner. ?Some nights I might not get the opportunity. But right now, you just enjoy it.?

http://www.hoopsworld.com/evan-turner-doug-collins-hit-a-high-point

United, for now: Doug Collins and Evan Turner
May, 5, 2012
By Henry Abbott

In a gritty win over the Bulls, the young Sixer found a way into coach Doug Collins' heart.

More than anything, Doug Collins wanted to talk about one play:

"I honestly believe that the single biggest play of the year for us was Evan Turner. The play he made under the basket ... Evan just fought, fought, fought, got fouled and made those two free throws. That was the singular biggest play for us -- of the season."


The Bulls had hit a 3 to close within one with 43 seconds left. After a miss, Turner got the offensive rebound amid the entire Bulls front line. He went up strong and had it blocked by Luol Deng. He gathered the loose ball, and the will to fight on, and attacked again. This time going at Omer Asik, and drawing a foul as he missed again.

By traditional measures of entertainment, it was nothing too special. It was not a play that made the highlights, presumably because it was all pretty ugly.

"Not to me!" said Collins. "I thought it was beautiful. Evan Turner is a big-time competitor. Big time. He is at his best in these kind of games. He really is. He played great in Chicago. They booed him on every possession and he played great there."

cont...

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/42035/united-for-now-doug-collins-and-evan-turner

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhAVlJCloeU"]Postgame : Spencer Hawes and Evan Turner | 4th May 2012 | NBA Playoffs 2012 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gno6H5ZCH8"]Evan Turner Takes Flight - YouTube[/ame]

 

[CentralMOBuck]

Turners had a nice series so far against the Bulls. He's had 16 points & 9 rebounds, 19 points and 7 rebounds, and 12 points and 5 assists. Although he's been starting for most of the year, it seemed like he was in Collins doghouse. ET needs the ball in his hands so he can create for himself and other people. The downside is that there are 3-4 other guys on the team that need the same thing.

 

[billmac91]

Turners had a nice series so far against the Bulls. He's had 16 points & 9 rebounds, 19 points and 7 rebounds, and 12 points and 5 assists. Although he's been starting for most of the year, it seemed like he was in Collins doghouse. ET needs the ball in his hands so he can create for himself and other people. The downside is that there are 3-4 other guys on the team that need the same thing.

Well, the difference being that Doug Collins has allowed Turner to run the point. When Turner was playing 2 guard it killed the Sixers b/c Igoudala and Turner are too redundant.

By sliding Turner to the PG position and Jrue Holiday to the 2, it allows Collins to have his best 5 players on the court, and really helps Evan become a play-maker. Evan just isn't at his best off the ball. It is also a real testament to Jrue Holiday who has settled into a nice 2G even though it probably isn't what is best for his game.

Overall, the Sixers are looking pretty good though. I don't think it is a given that Boston just rolls to the ECF. Philly is capable of pushing that series to the limit. I wish Evan was inserted into the starting line-up as PG earlier in the year...the crazy thing is, Collins pretty much did this on the fly after admitting it was probably not smart to keep 1 of his 5 best players off the court.

If Evan is given the opportunity to play PG for the remainder of his career, he can be a really good player in the NBA.

 

[Buckskin86]

Posted: Sun, May. 6, 2012
Doug Collins happy with growth in Evan Turner's game
By Bob Cooney
Daily News Staff Writer

When you can dominate a sport purely with your physical skill, the mental game is an afterthought.

Evan Turner has often said that he was at his best as a basketball player when he was 12 years old. The 76ers swingman recalls fondly schooling others who were about his age on the playground, in AAU games, and anywhere else he could find some competition.

Back then, at 6-foot-1, he was taller and possessed far more basketball talent than most players his age.

Not many players in the NBA possess much more basketball talent than their peers, and Turner is no exception. So getting better in different areas of the game is the key to development. That, says coach Doug Collins, is one of the big reasons Turner has become such an important cog for a Sixers team that leads the Chicago Bulls two games to one in a first-round playoff series that continues Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Center.

In the three games of this series, Turner has averaged 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4 assists. After being a sub in the first game, Turner started the next two. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Sixers have won those games.

After Friday night's improbable 79-74 win in which the Sixers outscored Chicago by 28-14 in the final quarter, Collins labeled a play by Turner as the biggest of the season. After initially being denied on a layup, Turner corralled the ball two more times after shot attempts before finally getting fouled. His two made free throws resulted in a 77-74 lead with 20.1 seconds to go. More than that, though, his desire to not let the play end in a negative result seemed to break the spirit of the shorthanded Bulls.

Asked about his appreciation for his coach's calling his effort the biggest play of the season, Turner said it was more than that.

"I think I appreciate more that he put the ball in my hands in a key possession," Turner said. "Once again we were all battling. We all said we were going to win the game. Jrue [Holiday] made some great plays down the stretch, Spencer [Hawes] made some great plays down the stretch, Lou [Williams] hit a big shot and he was playing hurt. Dre [Andre Iguodala] has been playing hurt for the past few games. The least I could do was just keep fighting on the drive I made and try to get extra points."

cont...

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/150320635.html#ixzz1u5fiZQc4

Sixers' Turner exhibiting star power in playoffs
May 5, 2012

Evan Turner is averaging 16 points and six rebounds through three playoff games. (US Presswire)

Remember when the Sixers played Orlando on Jan. 30 at the Wells Fargo Center?

They beat Magic, 74-69, but with 2:52 to play in that game the Sixers were up by 69-51. They allowed Orlando to score 18 points in the waning minutes. When the contest concluded, an angry Doug Collins was seen on TV having a stern word with Evan Turner as Turner walked off the court.

After that sighting, the camera in the hallway caught Turner throwing a towel in disgust as he approached the locker room. Turner was a minus-10 that night; no teammate was close to that number.

Of the nine guys who played that game, six of them had a plus number, which is the goal.

From that scene came Internet and radio conversations that Collins disliked the second-year player, who in 2010 was selected No. 2 overall in the NBA draft. For the next three months, the criticism of Collins and his use of Turner, or lack thereof, was frequent.

Fast forward to the present day and see Turner?s three performances against the Bulls in the first round of these NBA playoffs. Turner has made 17 of 36 field goal attempts. He is averaging 16 points and six rebounds per game and he has shown a toughness that this team too often lacked during the course of the regular season.

Collins prefers not to discuss the perceived rift between he and the confident, yet sometimes stubborn Ohio State product.

?Perception is so different than reality,? Collins said. ?There is a lot of growth in young players and we are trying to develop young players and try and win at the same time. Sometimes learning curves come at different times. I have had a lot of young players and some of them maybe played more early than Evan did, but his growth has been off the charts.?

cont...

http://www.csnphilly.com/basketball...ing-star-power-in-p?blockID=702904&feedID=694

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nLbgcfk4bU"]Evan Turner the future 2 sick dunks and 2 nice reverse vs Chicago Bulls NBA Playoffs 2012.05.04 - YouTube[/ame]

 

[DaveyBoy]

Collins is a headcasee. He mismanages lineups all year and finally does what many suggested he should do earlier.....

Turners had a nice series so far against the Bulls. He's had 16 points & 9 rebounds, 19 points and 7 rebounds, and 12 points and 5 assists. Although he's been starting for most of the year, it seemed like he was in Collins doghouse. ET needs the ball in his hands so he can create for himself and other people. The downside is that there are 3-4 other guys on the team that need the same thing.

 

[CentralMOBuck]

Did anybody watch the game today? From the stat line it looked like ET had a bad game; 28 minutes, 9 points and 5 fouls.

 

[southcampus]

Did anybody watch the game today? From the stat line it looked like ET had a bad game; 28 minutes, 9 points and 5 fouls.

I watched it. He got 2 tick tack fouls in a matter of 5 seconds but he played pretty good on defense all game. wasn't hitting open shots and seemed like he wasn't making much of an impact offensively. All in all, it was one of the worst NBA playoff games i've seen played this year, as far as offense was concerned.

 

[PlanetFrnd]

7 rebounds with 2:00 to play in the first QUARTER.... with a little more offensive development, ET can be a very effective pro. He's somehow everywhere on the court and ends up with the ball alot even though he's clearly never the primary option. Needs a better shot, more confident handles.

 

[PlanetFrnd]

7 rebounds with 2:00 to play in the first QUARTER.... with a little more offensive development, ET can be a very effective pro. He's somehow everywhere on the court and ends up with the ball alot even though he's clearly never the primary option. Needs a better shot, more confident handles.

That's not to say he hasn't been effective in the series against a very tough Bulls defense... I just meant long term. Would love it if he had a real coach and not Doug Collins, who's career is the very definition of mediocrity.

 

[Buckskin86]

Turner blanketing Bulls' point guards
May 10, 2012

PHILADELPHIA -- It?s been obvious that since Derrick Rose went down in Game 1 of the Bulls-76ers first-round playoff series, the Bulls have struggled to get production out of the point-guard position. A casual observer might think that C.J. Watson and John Lucas III just don?t measure up, but given that they combined to lead the Bulls to an 18-9 record during the regular season without Rose, that doesn?t seem to be the case.

Instead, it?s been the defense of Evan Turner that has been a major deterrent to the two Bulls floor generals, as the 6-foot-7 swingman has smothered the two point guards with his length. While the Chicago native, a villain in his hometown after his comments prior to the series, has been up and down on the offensive end of the court, his defensive acumen has prevented the scoring-minded duo from making a major dent offensively, as well as hampering the Bulls? overall offensive timing.

?Sometimes I guard a point guard. I guard Rondo from the Celtics. It?s not the first time I?ve done it or anything like that. I?ve done it a few times in college, so I?m acclimated to it and I?m probably better on the ball,? Turner recently told CSNChicago.com. ?Every team has their advantages and disadvantages, and it?s up to the coaches to use to make sure they use their advantages as best as they can, and make sure they hide their disadvantages. Some games, you do a great job at it. Some games, you can?t. That?s just how basketball is.

?I think basketball?s all about positioning and how fast you get to the spot, and execution, so defense is all about position and offense is all about execution and setting things up. Sometimes, it?s not always about athleticism,? he continued to explain. ?I?ve been able to get a little bit more opportunity to gain experience in certain key moments of the season and it?s helped a lot. Each game is extremely important to me, to my development, and I think I?ve grown a lot and matured a lot.?

cont...

http://www.csnchicago.com/basketbal...Bulls-point-guards?blockID=705708&feedID=4900

 

[chille37]

I thought it was funny that the above article called him a villain.

 

[WolverineMike]

he's going to need to play out of his mind if they are going to beat the Celtics. I'm rooting for Philly