Back in 2010, the Philadelphia 76ers made former Ohio State Buckeyes’ guard Evan Turner the second-overall pick of the NBA Draft.
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There were high hopes for Turner but he has struggled and the 76ers decided to cut ties with him just prior to this year’s trade deadline, sending him to the Indiana Pacers. Things were even worse for Turner in Indiana – he played significantly less. That’s why he searched for a new home in the offseason and eventually inked a deal with the Boston Celtics.
Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders wonders if Turner can turn around his career in Boston.
"Being drafted second overall carries high expectations. Evan Turner is looking to live up to them on a new team in his fifth season. After playing his first three-and-a-half seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, Turner was traded to the Indiana Pacers in February. He didn’t make much noise coming off the bench for the playoff-bound team, and his production dropped from 17.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 34.9 minutes as a starter to 7.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 21.1 minutes as a reserve. This season, the swingman has a chance to bounce back with the Celtics, an organization that is rebuilding its team just as he is rebuilding his career. Turner will be pushed to carve out minutes for himself on a log-jammed roster, forcing him to play at a high level. If he can, he will fit in with Brad Stevens’ system and this could be a turnaround season."
Turner averaged 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 42.5% from the field, 32.1% from beyond the arc and 81.3% from the charity stripe last season while shooting, but put up just 7.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game on 41.1% shooting from the floor, 50.0% shooting from three and 70.6% from the free throw line and after the trade. It was even worse in the postseason – Turner played just four total minutes in the Eastern Conference Finals.