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

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBpiY9U1mE0"]YouTube - Evan Turner Interview - 9/27/10[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IeaO77nUCU"]YouTube - Lou Williams interviews Evan Turner[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dccfSewqVMQ"]YouTube - Morning Shootaround - 9/28/10[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Sixers' rookie Turner starting to enjoy playing again
By BOB COONEY
Philadelphia Daily News
[email protected]

This all has been such a crash course for 76ers rookie Evan Turner that you half expect his head to be spinning out of control right about now as training camp starts to wind down.

Spin it has. But coach Doug Collins is starting to see the smile return to Turner's face, the confidence back in his step. A giant leap from when Turner struggled mightily in Orlando during summer league games.

Turner has been paired with Lou Williams on the second team for most scrimmages. For a majority of the time, it has appeared that Turner has been running the point - not the spot the Sixers envisioned for him when they took him with the second overall pick in June's draft.

"What I saw was when Lou and Evan were together, when Lou was on the ball and Evan was off, they struggled, because Evan wasn't sure and Lou didn't do a very good job of getting us into our stuff," Collins said. "Then we moved Evan to the ball and moved Lou and they both were good. So you can see where they're most comfortable right now.

"What we're doing with Evan is we're mixing and matching him so he can do a little of both. But, at the end of the day, Lou's a scorer and that's what we're going to have to do, put him in those kinds of positions 'cause if we put him out there to run the team, it really takes away what he does best."

Read more: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/spo...ing_to_enjoy_playing_again.html#ixzz11CUi0RzZ

Posted on Sat, Oct. 2, 2010
Education of 76ers' Turner proceeds
By Kate Fagan
Inquirer Staff Writer

Behind the closed doors of Hagan Arena, the evolution of Evan Turner is in its earliest stages.

We do know that the 76ers rookie - sometimes point guard, sometimes shooting guard - is playing primarily with the second unit, working to expand his off-the-ball game, and dealing with the pressures of being the No. 2 pick in the 2010 NBA draft.

What we don't know, which seems so much more extensive, is how Turner is playing and whether there is reason to be concerned about his NBA potential.

The worrying began during July's NBA Rookie League in Orlando, when Turner's play didn't quite reflect that of a top draft pick.

On Friday, Turner called that experience the "worst of the worst," and the "bottom pits of my life." Hyperbole aside, he did not appear pleased at the memory.

The Sixers are in the final day of their training camp at St. Joseph's University; camp ends Saturday and the team opens its preseason schedule Tuesday against the New Jersey Nets in Roanoke, Va.

"I'm doing all right," Turner said. "I'm getting used to the speed of the game. People are so strong, and sometimes it takes more wear and tear on your body than it did in college. It's going well. I'm learning the plays and picking it up pretty well."

Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/spor..._of_76ers__Turner_proceeds.html#ixzz11CUsqsu9

 

[Buckskin86]

Turner?s turnaround evident in Sixers training camp
Published: Sunday, October 03, 2010
By DENNIS DEITCH
[email protected]

PHILADELPHIA ? The 76ers have completed a week of training camp and are two days away from their first preseason game under Doug Collins.

The game Tuesday night against the Nets in Roanoke, Va., will be a do-over for Evan Turner, if a rookie who hasn?t played in an NBA game could somehow require a do-over at this fetal stage of his pro career.

The do-over stems from his Orlando Summer League performance. There wasn?t much positive to be said about Turner?s five games. He was the fifth-leading scorer with 9.4 points, just behind the legendary Ndudi Ebi (who?). He shot 33.3 percent from the field and committed more turnovers (23) than he had assists (14) and steals (eight) combined.

Perhaps the person most willing to bash Turner?s showing in the summer was the man in the mirror.

?Orlando was the worst of the worst,? Turner said. ?It was the bottom pit of my life.?

Yikes. That?s because the guy had been the best player on the court in practically every basketball game he ever played before the Nightmare in Disney World. That?s how you get scholarships to Ohio State, start as a true freshman and become the second overall pick in the NBA Draft.

http://delcotimes.com/articles/2010/10/03/sports/doc4ca7f9c3da101235795035.txt

 

[Buckskin86]

Turner just wants to play and help
By: TOM MOORE
The Intelligencer

PHILADELPHIA - Evan Turner's goals for his first NBA preseason game tonight against the Nets are pretty basic.

"Hopefully (to) contribute so we can win the game and get a lot of game experience," Turner said after Monday's Sixers practice at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Not wanting to put too much pressure on Turner, the No. 2 overall pick in June's draft, Sixers coach Doug Collins plans on using Turner primarily as a point guard behind starter Jrue Holiday.

Turner was a shooting guard at Ohio State, but he had the ball in his hands as the offensive initiator most of the time. Turner struggled off the ball in the Orlando Pro Summer League, which may have convinced Collins to take it slower with Turner, the winner of the Naismith National Player of the Year as a junior with the Buckeyes.

"That's where he's comfortable," Collins said.

With Holiday not feeling well Monday, Turner spent the end-of-practice scrimmage running the point with the starters. He hit a 3-pointer soon after the media was allowed to watch and seemed to have a decent feel for his teammates.

Holiday, Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes are expected to start vs. New Jersey.
Advertisement

Asked if he's more at home as a point guard right now, Turner said, "It's all a whirlwind, to tell you the truth."

Turner said he doesn't have a preference between the two spots.

"My whole thing about the NBA (coming into camp) was me throwing up and wanting to cry," he said with a smile. "It's been hard, but it's been pleasant.

"It's going to take time. You've got to be patient. You want everything to go so well quickly, but you've got to pay your dues first. I'm not (normally a patient person), but I have to be, I guess."

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/new.../05/turner-just-wants-to-play-and-help-2.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Posted on Fri, Oct. 8, 2010
Turner, Brackins provide glimpses of Sixers' future
By BOB COONEY
Philadelphia Daily News
[email protected]

Cover your ears, Sixers fans, because, understandably, you probably don't want to hear this, but trying to get a team that won just 27 games last season back to being a contending team in the Eastern Conference is not a sprint. In fact, it's not even a marathon. It just might take a few years of growth and struggle.

Of course, the brass that runs the Sixers wants it to happen much quicker than that, but at the same time, it knows the patience it has to practice and the tweaking that will have to be done with the roster.

Evan Turner, taken with the second overall pick in the draft, is kind of a microcosm of what the team's higher-ups hope the future is - OK now, great later.

In two preseason games, Turner, who has spent most of his time at the point instead of at shooting guard where most envisioned him, has averaged about 26 minutes, nine points and six rebounds. He's turned the ball over only once, but has made just two of 14 shots. There are glimpses of his talent sprinkled in between uncertainty and frustration.

"I think he's gotten better every day," said Sixers director of player personnel Courtney Witte. "Obviously, it's a learning process with coach [Doug] Collins' staff. What was taught this summer is a carryover, but yet it's new and it's coming at a higher rate. I think he's been a sponge and I think he's learning to trust his teammates, talk to his teammates, and, in turn, they're learning him. I think that he's gotten an education every day. He's picking things up.

"We know we've got a good player with a high-skill level. You really can't expect a high pick to come in and dominate right away. It rarely happens. He's got a high IQ level. Rarely does a player step right into a situation as a rookie and be something special. We're excited. He's got a big-time future ahead of him. The real basic premise here is that coach is trying to build a team that's competitive and gets better and understands what he's trying to get accomplished. I think that's what Evan's trying to do."

Read more: http://www.philly.com/dailynews/spo...glimpses_of_Sixers__future.html#ixzz11liJGGO2

 

[Buckskin86]

Evan Turner, SG/SF, Philadelphia 76ers (#2 pick)

Turner had an oddly satisfying/unsatisfying first game against NJ: 12 points on 1-for-6 shooting but 10-for-12 from the stripe, 7 rebounds, and only 1 assist. In a crushing defeat at the hands of the Celtics in his second game, Evan scored 6 points on 1-for-8 shooting (4-for-6 from the free throw line), had 5 rebounds, and 0 assists to go with 1 turnover. Game three is where things started to click: 14 points on 4-for-10 shooting (continued to get to the line, hitting all 6 freebies), 6 rebounds, 7 assists (vs. only 2 turnovers), and 6 steals. And he did that in his first start, showing he could fill the boxscore against the Nets? starters. Overall: Considering how much of his value is based on developing a good feel for the game instead of being a super athlete, he?s progressing about how you?d expect at this point.

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/preseason-look-at-top-9-rookies-in-nba

 

[OregonBuckeye]

6 steals is amazing.

 

[Buckskin86]

Evan Turner double-doubled in another start on Wednesday, finishing with 13 points and 12 rebounds, hitting 4-of-9 shots and 5-of-5 free throws.
With Spencer Hawes (back) and Marreese Speights (hammy) out, Elton Brand looks like your starting center. And if that happens, chances are strong that Turner could end up starting at shooting guard. And the best news is that it looks like he's starting to figure it out, although everyone got some extra minutes in this double-OT thriller.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/pl...news.asp?sport=NBA&id=1701&line=140021&spln=1

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aned13qfNmI"]YouTube - Evan Turner highlights, preseason Oct 13th, 2010 - [email protected][/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqALTN8KIBo"]YouTube - Catching Up With Evan Turner[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR1pbkLl6uo"]YouTube - Catching Up With Doug Collins[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Evan Turner wants to improve his field goal percentage over the final two preseason games. (NBAE/Getty Images)

Evan Turner has been with Young in practice after making three starts, but he will crack the opening lineup in place of Jrue Holiday on Tuesday because the Sixers are playing in the state of Ohio, home to the Buckeyes where Turner played three years of college ball.

Turner appreciates Collins giving him the starting nod in Cincinnati against Cleveland, but acknowledged the coach needs to do what is best for the team when Oct. 27 rolls around.

As for his personal goals over the final two preseason games, ?I am just trying to get a better rhythm and shoot better than 50 percent,? the rookie said.

In fact, Turner has not shot 50 percent from the floor in any of his five appearances and in his last two outings he has gone 1-for-8 from the floor.

http://www.csnphilly.com/10/18/10/C...landing_sixers.html?blockID=333928&feedID=704

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6Jv7FyfmFc"]YouTube - Evan Turner[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

76ers pleased by early returns on Evan Turner: Cavaliers Insider
Published: Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Mary Schmitt Boyer, The Plain Dealer

Al Behrman / Associated PressFormer Ohio State star guard Evan Turner drives past Anthony Parker in the first half of the 76ers-Cavaliers exhibition game in Cincinnati on Tuesday night.

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Philadelphia president Rod Thorn says Sixers rookie Evan Turner is doing just fine, thank you.

"He's doing really well," Thorn said of the former Ohio State star. "He's a wonderful kid, number one. He works as hard if not harder than anybody on our team, comes early and stays late. We've played him at three [small forward], two [shooting guard] and one [point guard]. We haven't determined which position he will be.
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"We've played him more at two than anywhere else. He can play at any of those positions. He's a terrific rebounder, passer, understands the game.

"He needs to improve as a shooter. But otherwise he's done fine. He's a good player. He just knows how to play."

Turner, averaging 10 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in the five games heading into Tuesday's game against the Cavaliers at US Bank Arena, said he was getting acclimated.

"I'm trying to learn the offense and fit in well with the guys on the floor," he said. "It has been all right."

Asked the biggest differences between the NBA and college basketball, Turner said, "The players are 10 times better and the game is super-quick."

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/10/76ers_pleased_by_early_returns.html

Rob Oller commentary: Turner stays grounded as expectations soar
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
The Columbus Dispatch

Al Behrman | Associated Press
The 76ers' Evan Turner drives past the Cavaliers' Anthony Parker. Turner, the second overall pick in the NBA draft, finished with four points and six assists.

CINCINNATI - Everywhere he goes in Philadelphia - to Cold Stone Creamery for his chocolate and Reese's peanut butter cup ice cream, to the Wells Fargo Center, to a sidewalk steak and cheese stand - Evan Turner cannot escape the expectations that come with being the second player selected in the 2010 NBA draft.

The younger 76ers fans want him to be Allen Iverson. The older ones want him to be Julius Erving. The comparisons are off-target, because Turner is more of a combo guard than a run-and-gun slasher like Iverson or a finisher like Dr. J. I would compare him to Grant Hill ... oops, there it is again, the constant temptation to turn Turner into a player he is not.

Even in Cincinnati, where the Sixers played the Cleveland Cavaliers last night in an exhibition game, Turner is associated with a legend. Before Turner did it last year, Oscar Robertson (1959-60 with Cincinnati) was the last college player to average 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists in a season.

Iverson. Erving. Hill. Robertson. Think the bar is set unrealistically high? Fortunately, Turner tunes it out. Mostly.

"It's a long journey," said the former Ohio State All-American and national player of the year, who started at point guard and scored four points with six assists and no turnovers in the Sixers' 111-95 loss. "I've only actually played two or three weeks with the team. I think people are expecting 30 to 35 points a game, but it's all about the system you're in."

http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...ys-grounded-as-expectations-soar.html?sid=101

Sixers rookie Evan Turner simply taking it all in
NBA PRESEASON
By Tom Groeschen ? [email protected] ? October 19, 2010

he Enquirer/Joseph Fuqua II
Philadelphia 76ers Evan Turner (12) drives the ball up the floor in the 1st period Tuesday night at US Bank Arena.

Evan Turner was The Man at Ohio State.

But life with the Philadelphia 76ers has been a somewhat rougher ride as Turner gets his NBA baptism.

Turner, a rookie, returned to the Buckeye state Tuesday night at U.S. Bank Arena as Philadelphia played the Cleveland Cavaliers in a preseason game.

Turner was the No. 2 pick in this year's NBA Draft after sweeping national player of the year honors last season. The lanky, 6-foot-7, 205-pound swingman turned pro after his junior year at OSU, during which he led the Big Ten in scoring (20.4 points per game) and rebounding (9.2).

Entering Tuesday, Turner was averaging 10.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 32.8 minutes per game this preseason. He also was shooting only 30.8 percent from the field, leading some already to wonder whether he will make in the NBA. To wit:

"Evan Turner: How Early Can Philadelphia 76ers Fans Panic?" - BleacherReport .com, Oct. 16.

That may be a tad harsh, considering Turner has played only a half-dozen preseason games. If such criticism bothers Turner, he hides it well.

"Everything's going all right," he said before Tuesday's game. "I'm still getting used to the travel and the practices, trying to bounce back quickly from nights when you have a lot of back-to-back (games)."

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101019/SPT/10200349/1062/Ex-Buckeye-Turner-learning-NBA-ropes

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aggWk11ZTAw"]YouTube - This or That! with Evan Turner[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Posted on Mon, Oct. 25, 2010
Will Sixers' big catch end up being a keeper?
By Kate Fagan
Inquirer Staff Writer

MICHAEL S. WIRTZ / Staff Photographer
"I start off slow, and I end up dominating," says Evan Turner, the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NBA draft. If the 6-foot-7 guard gets up to speed, it would make coach Doug Collins' job easier.

Who knows how these things spread?

Maybe some of it is Twitter, some word of mouth, some the Internet, and some just plain old scouting and observation.

However it happened, by the time ESPN the Magazine released its NBA preview edition, the majority of its experts - three out of four - had determined that 76ers rookie guard Evan Turner would be this season's "bust" pick.

In a city waiting for a U-turn from its professional basketball team, and believing the No. 2 pick in the 2010 NBA draft would provide that much-needed redirection, the assessment of Turner as a bust is about as easy to swallow as a basketball.

It can't be true, can it? Wasn't Turner supposed to be the draft's most NBA-ready player?

The pick was a no-brainer. (Except, of course, in retrospect, where other players now look brighter and shinier.)

But Turner's development is going to take a quality not necessarily flowing freely within the veins of Sixers fans: patience.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/spor...tch_end_up_being_a_keeper_.html#ixzz13MpadVyy

 

[Buckskin86]

NBA notebook: Turner won't start for Sixers
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
From wire reports

Evan Turner will begin his first NBA season on the bench.

Philadelphia coach Doug Collins decided against putting Turner in the starting lineup for tonight's opener against the Miami Heat. The 76ers selected Turner, the Associated Press player of the year from Ohio State, with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.

"Evan's had his moments," Collins said. "With Evan, it's about as much as who's he on the floor with that gives him a chance to be successful."

Collins said the decision had nothing to do with Turner's play - but had a troubling explanation for Sixers fans.

"I just didn't feel that he and (guards Andre Iguodala and Jrue Holiday) were a great mix," he said. "We had very poor spacing on the floor. The ball wasn't friendly. There's an expression that when the ball's moving, it has energy. We went through a lot of lulls with that group. That's where I started tinkering around with it. Evan's fine with it."

Collins said Turner needs to make a quicker adjustment to the NBA style of play.

"The mistakes he makes in games now are because he's defending like you defend in college," Collins said. "You help in certain areas that you can't help here."

Asked what he needed to do to crack the starting lineup, Turner said, "become a better shooter."

Turner shot 31 percent in seven preseason games - the lowest of any Sixer on the opening-night roster.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten.../27/turner-wont-start-for-sixers.html?sid=101

 

[Tlangs]

Turner got his first bucket....a rebound stick back. Has 4 rebounds with 8 mins to go in the second quarter. He has played about 7 mins total.

 

[starBUCKS]

His shooting off at 1/4, but his intangible stats are great, 3 pts, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in his first stretch of play off the bench.

 

[starBUCKS]

Since his 1/4 start... 4/4, for an overall 5/8 in the game so far. Looking good, confidence building through the game.