Check out the original article from Philly.com, here.
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The Pacers haven’t been playing their best basketball as of
late, and it is all Evan Turner’s fault.
Ok, it’s not really all
his fault, but it is safe to say he hasn’t helped.
The Pacers were starting to slip from their early-season
excellence before deadline day, but they certainly have gotten any better since
they traded for Turner.
Indiana, who started the season 41-13 and on a mission to
secure the top overall seed in the Eastern Conference, has gone only 12-10
since adding Turner and fellow former-Sixer Lavoy Allen. They don’t look like
the same team that started the season as the NBA’s top team, and as of late
they certainly don’t look like a true championship contender; something
everyone assumed they were three months ago.
For the month of March, the Pacers averaged only 99 points
per 100 possessions; second-last in the league, behind only, yep, the struggling
Sixers.
It is difficult to pinpoint a single reason for the struggle,
as there are several; the offense has been extremely stagnant, the team has
appeared tired after roaring out of the gate, and Paul George’s play has
plateaued. There is plenty of blame to go around, and included in that blame is
the trade for Turner.
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| Image from zimbio.com |
After depth was targeted as an issue to address for Indiana,
Turner was brought in to provide a bench boost, but he struggled fitting into a
new system, and he has not been able to contribute consistently without the
ball in his hands.
In 21 games off of the bench for Indiana, Turner has
averaged 20 minutes of action, and only 6.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.8
assists per game while shooting 40% from the floor.
That is a decent drop-off in production, considering that he
was averaging 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game with the Sixers
this season before he was traded. Turner’s production in Philadelphia was
predicated on the ball being in his hands. Without the same opportunity in
Indiana, he has struggled and looked lost at times, forcing Coach Frank Vogel
to make depth adjustments on the fly.
“Evan Turner hasn’t worked out, leaving Vogel to experiment
in the last two weeks with a pile of sudden rotation changes,” Zach Lowe wrote
in a recent article for Grantland.
From Lowe:
Hey, there’s Rasual Butler! Whoa! A Chris
Copeland sighting! Wait, did Vogel just call a post-up for Copeland out of a
timeout? Stephenson, West, and George have all entered and exited at different
times than usual as Vogel struggles to rediscover a workable rotation.
Lowe’s observations demonstrate how Indiana’s depth has gone
into disarray with Turner struggling to find his flow.
Not only has Turner been unable to produce for the Pacers,
but his addition to the team also signified the subtraction of a popular Pacer.
Danny Granger, although past his playing prime, was an
experienced, and popular presence in the locker room, and his trade from the
team may have helped cripple their chemistry.
Paul George posted this to his Instagram account in regards
to the Granger trade:
“On a serious note, upset day for me losing a big brother
and mentor. Hate to see him leave us. You helped me so far along the way big
bro! Still one of my toughest match-ups. Nothing but love for you Geezy!”
George and Granger had a close relationship, according to a
report from Bleacher Report, and many of the players looked up to him as a
locker room leader.
Not only has Turner’s on-court production in Indiana been
under-whelming, he also does not have the same impact or influence in the locker
room that Granger did.
The Pacers are headed to the playoffs, and there is still
time for them to right the ship and get back to playing like they did at the
start of the season. But, considering the return, and all that has transpired
with the team since deadline day, you have to wonder if, given the opportunity,
the Pacers would re-consider trading for Turner.
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