Evan Turner-ound?

[Rastapopoulos]

Is it just me or is Evan Turner playing a lot better since he was moved to the starting lineup? I thought he was particularly good last night when I was watching, and this seems to be reflected in the +16 he showed (and he leads the team with +42 over the past ten games). (Yes, he missed the last shot, but nobody's perfect, and he did a lot to bring us that close.) His defense is very good and his shot is coming around. How are people feeling about him these days?

 

[Natebishop3]

Is it just me or is Evan Turner playing a lot better since he was moved to the starting lineup? I thought he was particularly good last night when I was watching, and this seems to be reflected in the +16 he showed (and he leads the team with +42 over the past ten games). (Yes, he missed the last shot, but nobody's perfect, and he did a lot to bring us that close.) His defense is very good and his shot is coming around. How are people feeling about him these days?

I felt that the Turner/Crabbe pairing was horrible from the start, and neither was benefiting from it.

Similarly, I think the Dame/CJ pairing is doomed to fail.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I guess this guy had the same thought:
http://www.blazersedge.com/2017/1/30/14438068/portland-trail-blazers-evan-turner

 

[e_blazer]

I felt that the Turner/Crabbe pairing was horrible from the start, and neither was benefiting from it.

Similarly, I think the Dame/CJ pairing is doomed to fail.

I'd love to see some breakdowns of how the Blazers various guard pairings compare with respect to points scored vs. points allowed. Last night, when the Warriors were hot in the first quarter, the Blazers were trailing 15-10 when Crabbe subbed for CJ with about six minutes left in the quarter. Their lead ballooned to 24-14 by the time CJ subbed in for Lillard. It seems to me that the Lillard-Crabbe combo and the Crabbe-CJ combo are never as efficient as Dame and CJ, but I'll bet that someone around here can find stats to prove or disprove that theory.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I don't think he's ever going to be a great fit, but I'm happy he's pulling his play out of the cellar and providing at least some ROI.

 

[Minstrel]

It seems to me that the Lillard-Crabbe combo and the Crabbe-CJ combo are never as efficient as Dame and CJ

That's probably true and to be expected--Dame and McCollum are the team's two best players. You'd expect the team to be at their best when they're both on the court. Additionally, the Blazers are bringing sub-par players off the bench to replace them.

The question is not whether the current Blazers are better with Lillard and McCollum together (they are, IMO), but whether that combination is a viable foundation for a title contender, or whether the team would be better with a Lillard/Other Star or Other Star/McCollum combination.

I think it's substantially harder to build a title contender around two foundational stars who both play really poor defense. Probably not impossible, though.

 

[Pinwheel1]

ET was already playing much better before he moved to the starting lineup, but yeah his talents seem to compliment the other starters.

 

[KingSpeed]

I've been loving Turner for awhile and he's even better in the starting lineup and brings more to the table than Harkless.

 

[e_blazer]

That's probably true and to be expected--Dame and McCollum are the team's two best players. You'd expect the team to be at their best when they're both on the court. Additionally, the Blazers are bringing sub-par players off the bench to replace them.

The question is not whether the current Blazers are better with Lillard and McCollum together (they are, IMO), but whether that combination is a viable foundation for a title contender, or whether the team would be better with a Lillard/Other Star or Other Star/McCollum combination.

I think it's substantially harder to build a title contender around two foundational stars who both play really poor defense. Probably not impossible, though.

I'd say that you couldn't get away with it if they weren't exceptional scoring talents. I also don't think you can get away with it unless you've got really good defensive players at the other three spots. Unless Olshey can find some good defenders to cover for the defensive shortcomings of his guards, it's likely that one of them will have to go. My hope is that CJ can improve to at least mediocre on defense and Dame can climb from truly dreadful to just plain bad. That would make it less difficult to keep them.

 

[WillG]

Liked ET in Boston.

Loving ET in Portland. Good defender, excellent passer.

Like any new player that's brought in, he just needed a little time to settle in.
Really like the multi-faceted skills/game he brings on both sides of the ball.

 

[riverman]

Turner can guard multiple positions...I was impressed with his defense against Durant ...sort of like Chief...also love that Turner doesn't get too up or down and keeps playing hard....he's got a motor.

 

[handiman]

I like the toughness and energy he's bringing, but he needs to limit the horrific looking deep shots even more than Aminu does. Turner should live in the mid-range like Livingston. Why settle for the ultra-low percentage game winner against Boston when a 2 would have tied it? DGroin had 5 fouls, making OT a less than desirable prospect for the Warriors.

The other thing I'm not crazy about, when he's in with Dame and/or CJ, they tend to not get the ball back when Turner is initiating the offense. He's probing for a driving lane or post entry pass more often than not, leaving two of the better catch-and-shoot guys out there with little to do.

 

[Minstrel]

DGroin

This is one of those mocking nicknames that's so perfect that I'm shocked I've never seen it before.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I like the toughness and energy he's bringing, but he needs to limit the horrific looking deep shots even more than Aminu does. Turner should live in the mid-range like Livingston. Why settle for the ultra-low percentage game winner against Boston when a 2 would have tied it?

I think that was okay - he'd just hit a couple of threes and Durant basically fell over backwards and gave him an open three.

 

[Blazers Roy]

Give Lebron his playmaker:

 

[handiman]

This is one of those mocking nicknames that's so perfect that I'm shocked I've never seen it before.

I've been trying hard to make it stick since last year's Finals. I predicted the Warriors would lose after their 3-1 lead due to his douche-groinery.

I think that was okay - he'd just hit a couple of threes and Durant basically fell over backwards and gave him an open three.

Durant was back on his heels and made no effort to close out. Turner should have taken a step or two in for a much higher percentage shot. His form is so broken, and his 3-pt percentage so low, you have to look at the ones he just made as lucky and assume the clutch moment isn't going to go his way all that often.