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Celtics’ Preseason Opener at Risk for Turner

By Joshua Bateman

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Evan Turner needs this preseason as much as anybody on the Boston Celtics. He came into camp at great risk of losing much of his role from last season. Turner was a primary ball handler on the starting unit and Brad Stevens allowed him to take control of the offense.

The results were frustrating to say the least. Turner lead the team with 5.5 assists per game. On top of that, He lead the team in triple doubles and game winning shots. Stevens saw something in Turner and give him free reign to dictate much of the offense. The frustration then came from the 2.4 turnovers per game and the atrocious 27.7% from beyond the arc.

The Celtics were in a situation last season where Turner was one of the only options to run the offense. Now, the Celtics have seen some of their young guards grow and develop and they have added more prospects and more talent. Stevens has already spoken about using David Lee as a ball handler. Isaiah Thomas will always carry much of the load and Marcus Smart is primed to have a more significant role on the offensive end.

Apr 23, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Evan Turner (11) drives the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert (4) during the second quarter in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

All of this adds up to bad news for Turner. He had some spectacular moments last season but the team has changed drastically and his inconsistent play on offense will no longer be acceptable. Stevens has revealed that he has plans to continue to use Turner. The question is how much and the goal was to get that answered this training camp. Unfortunately, that has to be put on hold for now.

Turner has suffered a knee injury in practice and he may be forced to miss time in the preseason. The good news is that Turner should be ready for the regular season. However, any time he misses this preseason gives all the other options a better opportunity to take over his role. There are a lot of young players with undefined roles on the team and if they are impressive while Turner is on the sideline, he may never get another opportunity to run the offense.

It is not only an issue of regression for Turner. Even if he stays exactly where he was a season ago he will be in trouble. In order to maintain his role from a season ago, Turner needs to be a better shooter and a smarter ball handler.

Missing time in preseason also raises the issue of chemistry. Last season, chemistry was a lost cause with all the trades in the first half of the season but that may not be the case this season. The Celtics have an opportunity to establish continuity in their lineup and the status of the lineup will largely be determined in preseason. The rotation remains entirely undetermined and it will be a lot more difficult to fit Turner in if he does not establish his place during the preseason.

Missing time in the preseason is not the end all for Turner. He established himself well enough last season to earn his opportunities this season but this missed time can be seen as missed opportunities. Every game Turner is sitting on the sideline is an opportunity for someone else to step up and it is an opportunity lost for Turner to prove that he has improved from a season ago.

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