4 Things We Learned About Evan Turner in His Rookie Philadelphia 76ers Season

Evan Turner’s rookie season with the Philadelphia 76ers has been more over analyzed than Tiger Woods’ golf swing.

From recording a double-double in his seventh career game, to seeing his scoring average decline through December, to not even playing in two of the Sixers final eight games as the team tried to make the playoffs, Turner’s season featured its fair share of highlights and disappointments.

Unfortunately, the disappointments may have outweighed the highlights.

For a player who was the second overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, anything short of a double-digit scoring mark, a solidified starting position, and plenty of excitement generated for next season would almost guarantee that Turner would hear the word “bust.”

And that is exactly what is happening.

The final verdict on Turner is still out, however.

After last season, there may be even more questions surrounding him than there was when he was first drafted.

But, now that he has a full year of experience, what exactly did we learn about Turner during his rookie season?

Consistency Was Not the Name of His Game

At times last season, Turner looked like a player worthy of the number two overall pick in the NBA Draft, and a star in the making for the Sixers.

The only problem was that these times rarely occurred in consecutive games.

In 78 games, Turner reached double-digits in scoring on 23 occasions.  However, he only reached double-digit scoring in consecutive games eight times.

Turner also only had one stretch in which he had double-digit scoring in three consecutive games, from March 4^th to the 8^th.

Turner had ten games in which he was held scoreless, and was held to five points or less 34 times.

Even in five playoff games, Turner’s inconsistent shooting was on display, as he had games of 2, 15, 2, 17, and 4 points.

Turner’s monthly averages from November to March were 7.5, 6.1, 8.4, 6.8, and 5.7 ppg.

On the season, Turner had just three 20-point games.

For a player who is simultaneously in a battle for playing time, as well as trying to become a starter at one of two positions, inconsistency is not something Turner can afford.

And, as we learned last season, Turner’s inconsistency affects multiple aspects of the Sixers.

From causing the demand to outweigh the supply in terms of available minutes, to forcing the team to waver back and forth as far as whether or not to trade Andre Iguodala, to possibly even prohibiting the young team’s growth, the effects of Turner’s inconsistency is not limited to just one player.

A consistent Turner can also have positive effects on the team.

Turner has spent time this offseason working on his jump shot with the shot doctor, Herb Magee, and is set to join his teammates for workouts in Los Angeles.

An improved, and more consistent Turner, could solidify the amount of minutes for Jrue Holiday, Jodie Meeks, Lou Williams, and possibly Iguodala and Thaddeus Young.

It could also free the team to trade Iguodala, as well as help the Sixers live up to the potential they created for themselves last season.

Turner may be a player who actually benefits from the lockout.

And he may be the bridge connecting the Sixers to their future.

Whether that possibility is good or bad remains to be seen.

His Rebounding Was Overlooked

For all of the criticism Turner received over his shooting last season, few noticed the solid rebounding performances he turned in throughout the year.

Although Turner shot below 50% on the year, and was held to five points or less in 34 games, he also had 23 games of grabbing six rebounds or more.

Turner also had six or more rebounds in three of the Sixers five playoff games against the Miami Heat.

In 11 out of 19 games in which Turner saw the court for at least 30 minutes, the 22-year-old had seven rebounds or more.

Turner racked up seven rebounds in his debut versus Miami, recorded his first double-double with ten rebounds in his seventh career game versus the New York Knicks, and grabbed 12 more rebounds in his second double-double against the Toronto Raptors.

Besides Thaddeus Young, Turner had the highest rebounding average of any Sixer primarily coming off the bench, and had the fourth-highest average on the team during the playoffs.

Prior to the All Star game, Turner had the fifth-highest average on the team.

Turner also saw his rebounding average increase from 3.8 a night to 4.7 a night in 14 games as a starter.

In 12 games as the Sixers starting shooting guard, Turner averaged 5.1 rpg.

He also had the third-highest total rebounding percentage among rookies last season, at 9.8%; the highest mark among rookies who played at least 50 games.

Turner had the second-highest defensive rebounding percentage among rookies, at 16.9%.

While Turner’s offense did little to help the Sixers win, his defense contributed to a 2.2 defensive win shares.

When a player is drafted second overall, every aspect of his game will be analyzed and scrutinized during his rookie season.

Turner’s shooting was far from being an exception.

However, his rebounding was, for the most part, overlooked.

He Didn't Get to the Line Too Often

If there was one aspect of Turner’s shot that few critics found flaws in last season, it was his free throw shooting.

Of course, he rarely had to take this type of shot.

Turner shot 80.8% from the line last season, while making 101 of 125 free throws.

In his final two seasons at Ohio State, Turner attempted 222 and 182 free throws, respectively, while playing in nearly 45 fewer games.

Last season, players such as Jrue Holiday, Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand, Thaddeus Young, Jodie Meeks, and Lou Williams all attempted 49 or more free throws than Turner.

Although at one point during the season he had the fourth-highest free throw percentage among rookies, Turner finished tied with Tony Battie for the third-lowest amount of free throws attempted per game for the Sixers.

The Sixers, as a team, finished tied with the Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks for 25^th in the league in free throws attempted per game.

The team also finished tied for 25^th in free throws made per game.

Turner does shoot very well from the free throw line.

When he gets there.

Whether it was trying to avoid contact, or attempting to prove that his jump shot did not need improving, Turner’s presence at the line was a rare sight.

Rookies such as Blake Griffin, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Landry Fields, Greg Monroe, and Derrick Favors all attempted more free throws than Turner last season.

Only Griffin and Wall were drafted higher than him.

In the Sixers first round playoff matchup against the Miami Heat, Turner attempted just two free throws throughout the entire series.

Out of the 78 games that he played in, Turner attempted two free throws or less 59 times.  This includes 33 games in which he did not attempt a single free throw.

Turner had three, five-game stretches where he did not attempt a single free throw.

For the months of December and February, Turner only had one game in which he attempted more than two free throws.

Turner’s free throw percentages from his sophomore season at Ohio State through last season with the Sixers show that he is a decent free throw shooter.

If he gets to the line more this season, Sixers fans will not only see a Turner who is driving to the basket and towards contact, but also a player whose scoring average has increased.

And since the Sixers had 13 games in which Turner attempted two free throws or less, and lost by no more than five points, the team’s win total may also increase.

He Does Not Get off to Fast Starts

As the second overall pick in the draft, the Sixers envisioned Turner playing at the same level he performed at in college, while at the professional level.

They should have been more specific.

Just as he struggled during his first season as a professional, Turner got off to a similar poor start at Ohio State University.

During his freshman season with the Buckeyes, Turner averaged 8.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 27.1 minutes in 31 games.

In his first season with the Sixers, Turner averaged 7.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 23 minutes in 78 games.

Not exactly a player who hits the ground running.

Turner’s 47% field goal percentage, 33.3% three-point percentage, 69.9% free-throw percentage, and 1.3 steals a game during his freshman season were the lowest of his three-year college career.

Besides his free-throw percentage, Turner saw even lower numbers during his first season with the Sixers.

However, following his first season at Ohio State, not only did Turner raise his averages, but he also finished his career as the National Player of the Year.

Turner saw his averages jump to 17.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, and 4 apg during his sophomore season, while shooting 50.3%.

This type of increase is what the Sixers are counting on from Turner this season.

The only difference between Turner’s second season at Ohio State and his second season with the Sixers may occur with the amount of minutes Turner receives each game.

And this could be a roadblock.

Turner went from playing 27.1 minutes a game during his freshman season, to 36.4 minutes during his sophomore year.

But, with the Sixers, Turner has competition.

As long as Andre Iguodala remains a Sixer, Turner will have to earn his minutes.

And, if his performance does not improve, he could find himself behind Jodie Meeks and Thaddeus Young for another season.

For now, Turner will have to make the most out of however many minutes he receives each game.

And, use them to continue his trend in finding second-year success.