Evan Turner makes our two best players significantly worse, why do we still play him?

[B-Roy]

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/1/16958612/blazers-damian-lillard-zach-collins

Turner has been a disaster since Day 1. If you look at the size of his salary, his impact on the team, and the position he has put the franchise in, he might be the worst signing of the past decade. The league’s most vocal midrange enthusiast can’t space the floor (he’s a career 30 percent 3-point shooter on only 1.4 attempts per game), so using him means putting the ball in his hands and out of Lillard’s and McCollum’s. He’s not nearly good enough to justify that, and his average athleticism makes him a difficult fit on defense next to two undersized guards. Turner is not only not helping, he’s also actively making their stars worse. Both Lillard and McCollum have been significantly more productive without Turner this season:

Lillard and McCollum, With and Without Turner
Player Lillard McCollum
Minutes w/Turner 827 946
Net rating w/Turner Minus-0.1 Minus-2.9
Minutes w/o Turner 744 830
Net rating w/o Turner Plus-4.8 Plus-4.7
Difference Plus-4.9 Plus-7.6

Good lord those numbers are horrifying.

 

[BrianFromWA]

It's super-weird also when you understand that Stotts is probably one of the coaches that leans most on 3- and 4-man +/-'s in the league for substitution patterns

 

[B-Roy]

It's super-weird also when you understand that Stotts is probably one of the coaches that leans most on 3- and 4-man +/-'s in the league for substitution patterns

In the article Stotts says he does put some weight on +/- stats....but mostly for bench players. He believes CJ/Dame's +/- stats mostly just reflect the team's performance.

 

[BonesJones]

In the article Stotts says he does put some weight on +/- stats....but mostly for bench players. He believes CJ/Dame's +/- stats mostly just reflect the team's performance.

Reflects the teams performance when Turner plays, and reflects the teams performance when Turner doesn't play...

 

[illmatic99]

Mandate from Neil. Has to be. Terry isn't blind

 

[KeepOnRollin]

If Harkless isn't traded (probably a big IF) then I would give him another shot. We have played our best basketball (in the past) with him at the 3. He didn't just lose it and he did show it (although too infrequently) at times this year.

 

[TBpup]

Mandate from Neil. Has to be. Terry isn't blind

Probably not far from the truth. How embarrassing for Neil to have a guy making that much money for 4 years just sitting on the bench no matter if it helped the team or not.

 

[riverman]

If you don't play him you have zero chance of building trade value...it's a crap shoot

 

[illmatic99]

If you don't play him you have zero chance of building trade value...it's a crap shoot

There is no trade value.

What an absolutely horrible fit to the game we play. Made worse by his ridiculous contract.

 

[riverman]

There is no trade value.

What an absolutely horrible fit to the game we play. Made worse by his ridiculous contract.

Thibs loves him

 

[Natebishop3]

What would it take to get him off the team?

 

[illmatic99]

What would it take to get him off the team?

At least a pick, and no fucking way I give up our one avenue to improve just to unload a mistake that should never have been made.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

What would it take to get him off the team?

A 1st going out and almost equally-bad contract coming in. We shouldn't do that though. We need to just cool our jets on him and work other deals this year (Meyers as an example) and then revisit trying to move him at summer or next deadline.

 

[BonesJones]

A 1st going out and almost equally-bad contract coming in. We shouldn't do that though. We need to just cool our jets on him and work other deals this year (Meyers as an example) and then revisit trying to move him at summer or next deadline.

We need to find a way to move him out of the rotation then. He makes us a much worse team when he's on the court.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

We need to find a way to move him out of the rotation then. He makes us a much worse team when he's on the court.

I already said above that I would reinsert Harkless after the deadline if he isn't moved.

 

[BonesJones]

I already said above that I would reinsert Harkless after the deadline if he isn't moved.

Or better yet, trade for someone like Herzonja.

 

[KeepOnRollin]

Or better yet, trade for someone like Herzonja.

Might as well wait until this summer and try to sign him for the MLE. You trade for him now and it is possible he just walks. At least this summer if he chooses you then you know he wants you.

 

[BoomChakaLaka]

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/1/16958612/blazers-damian-lillard-zach-collins


Good lord those numbers are horrifying.

Shhhhhhhh we’ll never be able to trade him to Cleveland for LeBron!

 

[SlyPokerDog]

What would it take to get him off the team?

We know a dump truck in the pool won't do anything.

 

[BonesJones]

Might as well wait until this summer and try to sign him for the MLE. You trade for him now and it is possible he just walks. At least this summer if he chooses you then you know he wants you.

It's more likely that we keep him if we trade for him than it is for us to sign him IMO. Plus we'll be able to see if he's really with having.

 

[riverman]

We know a dump truck in the pool won't do anything.

It'll get you a day off for personal reasons

 

[Nikolokolus]

What would it take to get him off the team?

Our first round pick . . . at minimum.

 

[handiman]

Send Olshey to auctioneer school so he can fast talk someone into taking a package of Turn[ov]er and Nicholson/Verajo's "expiring" contracts for a 2nd round pick. Hell, include Olshey in the package. It's the least he can do for us after signing ET.

 

[LayneStaley]

What would it take to get him off the team?

Buy Noah out, then I only have to look at one DNP player that makes 10 mil a year.

 

[ripcityboy]

The only thing you can do is buy out the contract like Greg Monroe. That's it. There is no sucker on the hook for this one. You could threaten a GM with sucking him down into the bottom of the Marianas Trench and he won't touch it. I still think if we package up Harkless or Leonard we may be able to get someone to take them. But at some point Neil will probably realize that these contracts are going to end up costing him his job.

 

[BBert]

What would it take to get him off the team?

We know a dump truck in the pool won't do anything.

Does he own a race horse?

 

[Denny Crane]

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/i...zers_evan_turner_cashing_in_on_wide_open.html

 

[CupWizier]

We need to find a way to move him out of the rotation then. He makes us a much worse team when he's on the court.

Do you have anything to back up that statement or are you just using observation?

 

[BonesJones]

Do you have anything to back up that statement or are you just using observation?

Did you read the OP...?

 

[CupWizier]

Did you read the OP...?

Yes, and it proves nothing in regards to Turner making the team worse, thus the question I proposed.