Evan Tuner is going to get another shot.
But on a team where he is going to have to play within the system or the numerous other options on the wing will jump ahead of him in the rotation.
The Boston Celtics made official on Monday what everyone knew was coming for weeks, that they were signing Evan Turner. The Celtics made some roster moves Sunday to clear the way for this. This is a two year deal, fully guaranteed, for a total of $6.7 million, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.
That’s about the right price for landing Turner, but he is going to have to earn some minutes on the wing. Avery Bradley and Jeff Green will likely start at the two and the three. Behind them Marcus Thornton can play the two while Gerald Wallace and James Young can back up the three. You can make a case that Turner should get minutes as a backup at the two or three, but if he falters quality players are there to take up those minutes.
Turner averaged 17.4 points a game in the up-tempo Sixers offense the first half of last season (someone had to take the shots and Turner did) but he wasn’t efficient with his.504 true shooting percentage. Larry Bird traded for him because the Pacers needed some offense but when asked to blend into the Pacers team concept he could not. By second round of the playoffs he was barely getting minutes for an Indy team struggling to find any offense it could.
Brad Stevens is the latest to take on the Turner project. He’s got a couple years to figure it out.