Evan Turner: The Savior of the Sixers

The next decade of Philadelphia 76ers basketball hinged on last night’s NBA draft lottery.

They did not win the Powerball, but still took home the jackpot.

The Sixers will select second in the 2010 NBA Draft next month, guaranteeing them a chance of selecting a future superstar for the next decade.

That superstar will be Evan Turner.

Turner was the best player in college basketball last season; averaging 20.4 points per game, 9.2 rebounds per game, and 6.0 rebounds per game.

In basketball terms, he can do it all.

Turner is the type of player that is destined to be a superstar in the NBA.  He has the body type to dominate as a two guard (6’ 7’’, 210) along with the ability to carry a team on his back in the fourth quarter of a game. 

He is just what the Sixers need: a true superstar.

Turner will make the Sixers a playoff-caliber team next season and beyond.  He can become the face of the franchise that the Sixers have been lacking since they traded Allen Iverson.

The former Big Ten player of the year is compared to Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant (a No. 2 overall pick as well).  The advantage Turner has over Durant is that he can play as a point guard, shooting guard, and small forward.  Turner can score points, rebound, and make his teammates better when he walks onto the court.

The only worry the Sixers have in choosing Turner with the No. 2 overall selection is that history doesn’t repeat itself with past selections (see Shawn Bradley, Tyson Chandler, Darko Milicic, and Emeka Okafor). 

Fortunately for the Sixers, Turner will not play the post position in the NBA.  Two decades from now, Evan Turner will be part of the great No. 2 overall draft picks in NBA history (Gary Payton, Alonzo Mourning, Jason Kidd, and Kevin Durant).

Brace yourself Sixers fans, the franchise is saved.