Sunday, April 24, 2011
Posted: 8:13 p.m.
By John R. Finger
CSNPhilly.com
When the summer rolls around, it might not be all that rare to catch Evan Turner around town. After all, his plans for his first NBA offseason are pretty basic.
I have to work on getting my jimmy right, Turner said prior to Game 4 of the Sixers first round playoff series against the Miami Heat on Easter Sunday.
Turner, of course, was talking about his jump shot, which likely has never been confused with an eagle in flight. Turner knows it -- how a hand awkwardly placed on top of the ball as he squeezes off a shot isnt ideal. The result is a flat shot, kind of like a knuckleball, and for it to have a chance to go down, Turner needs it to be on the money.
Money was the right word for Turners shot on Sunday afternoon.
The Sixers rookie scored a team-high 17 points on 13 shots to go with six rebounds in 27 minutes. It was Turners floating jumper with 1 minute, 22 seconds left that began the 8-0 run that lead to the 86-82 victory in Game 4 to stave off elimination. It also was Turners two foul shots with two seconds left that iced the game and sent the series back to Miami.
Still, the fact that Turner was even in the game for as long as he was on Sunday took a perfect storm of events to unfold.
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For one, Andre Iguodala had to get into early foul trouble, and the Heat had to go with a smaller lineup. But that wasnt what kept Turner on the floor. The fact that his shots were falling and he stood tough on defense against LeBron James was what built coach Doug Collins confidence in his rookie.
I had a decision to make when they went small. Do I go with Thad Young or do I go with Evan? I just thought Evan was playing very well and so I kept him on the floor. He did a wonderful job. He was our ace of spades today.
For a much-hyped draft pick selected second overall in last Junes draft, Turner picked a great time to have his best game of the season. A three-pointer with 35 seconds to go in the first quarter led to an eight-minute stretch on the floor, while his driving layup with less than a minute remaining in the first half cut the Heats lead to one point at the break.
As the game and his time on the floor progressed, Turners confidence grew. Aside from being matched up on James, Turner also mixed it up with the Heats James Jones in a little joust in front of the Miami bench that Young jumped into before players had to be separated.
I was just trying to come out and be ready for the team. I saw Andre with a few early fouls and I just wanted to compete and give some spark off the bench, Turner said. Comparing last year when I was in college to this year, there have been some road bumps. But right now, its just been a great time getting more experience as a player.
Road bumps is putting it mildly. Actually, his first-ever playoff series could serve as a microcosm of his season. In Game 1, Turner saw just nine minutes of action and took two shots for two points. He played just seven minutes in Game 3, notching one basket on three shots. But in Games 2 and 4, Turner was a catalyst, going for 15 off the bench in Game 2 in 26 minutes.
It went similarly in the regular season. Turner started 14 games, but also had three games where he didnt get off the bench. Counting the playoffs, Turner had 11 games in which he played fewer than 10 minutes. At times it seemed as if he was in Collins' dog house, as well as that of team leader Andre Iguodala.
For a rookie its one thing to tick off the coachthat happens. But to get on the bad side of a veteran player is something that could make a season miserable. To Turners creditand Iguodalas, toothe players worked through things, culminating with a dinner together this week and some one-and-one after practice where both players experimented with some new moves that were pulled out in Game 4.
Evan and I have had a pretty interesting year togethergood and bad, Iguodala said. Weve always tried to lean on each other. Over the past week we really bonded and I was happy to see him be in position to do something good and follow through with it.
Iguodala is thoughtful and seemingly introspective. Turner is young, likes to talk and isnt shy about showing up at a playoff hockey game with a goofy puck helmet -- as he did Friday when he took in the Flyers game. Iguodala is partial to sharp blazers and horn-rimmed glasses and has taken Jodie Meeks under his wing this year. Now he is mentoring Turner.
A first-round pick in the 2004 draft, Iguodala has been where Turner is now and, considering Turner could eventually assume Iguodalas role on the team, it bodes well that the two are on the same page.
Ive been saying all year that hes a confidence guy and when his confidence is high, he plays really well. When his confidence is down, he has a lot of self doubt and he doesnt believe in himself, Iguodala explained. But we all know he can play ball and weve had many arguments throughout the year in regard to talents and hes going to prove a lot of people wrong.
We had a chance to sit down and we had dinner together and were together for about three hours. We just reflected on the whole year and things that happened and what could have changed and things that made us better people or held us back a little bit. It was a good chat.
That chat might not be the impetus to the Sixers stunning the Heat for three more victories, but it could bode well for the future. With Turner set to work with Hall-of-Fame shooting guru Herb Magee this summer, Turner and Iguodala could turn into an on-the-court duo as opposed to one-on-one partners in practice.
E-mail John R. Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com
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