Falk not pressuring Sixers to play Turner
The latest 76ers news from Philly.com.
Falk not pressuring Sixers to play Turner
John Mitchell, Inquirer Staff Writer
The Sixers' Evan Turner is represented by agent David Falk. (Matt Slocum/AP)
One-time super-agent David Falk has been conspicuous in his presence around the 76ers locker room in recent days, but don’t read too much into this.
Falk, who has represented Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson in the past, just represents a few players these days, and two of them, Elton Brand and Evan Turner, happen to be Sixers.
With Turner struggling and his minutes on the wan over the last month, there was speculation that Falk – who takes up residence in suburban Washington – was in town to attempt to do a little arm-twisting with coach Doug Collins to get Turner more time and perhaps in the starting lineup.
However, a battle royal between Falk and Collins over Turner’s minutes never occurred, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. Falk and Collins actually have a very cordial relationship that developed when Collins coached Jordan during his stint as the coach of the Washington Wizards.
I caught up with Falk on Thursday and he said that he came to Philly to meet with Brand and Turner, whom he met with following the team’s loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday. Falk insisted that he did not try to coerce Collins at all.
“The only thing is that now they have lost six of their last seven games and now it might be time to reevaluate the way they are doing some things,” Falk said. “They are really having a hard time scoring the basketball.”
There is growing contingent of fans that want to see Turner, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft, get more minutes in order to find out whether or not he is the real deal or a mistake. If Turner does not work out, it could turn into a catastrophic mistake for the franchise, perhaps on the same level as the horrific 1993 draft that saw the Sixers select mega-bust Shawn Bradley with the second overall pick.
We all know how that worked out.
Early on, when things were going well, Turner looked fine in his role coming off the bench with Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young as the Sixers began the season 20-9. But the team’s recent slump, their inability to score and with Jodie Meeks giving them little if anything in the starting shooting guard position, the question as to why a player drafted so high not only can’t crack the starting lineup but sees his minutes reduced resonates as a problem.
Turner has seen his minutes-per-game fall from the low- to mid-twenties early on to where they are now. Over the last 10 games he has averaged a tad less than 20 minutes per game. In this stretch he’s averaged just 4.9 points and made just .290 percent of his field goals.
Meanwhile, Turner says he has done all that he can do to break into the starting lineup and is willing to let the chips fall where they may moving forward.
“It’s not a negotiation,” Turner said. “I did everything I possibly could over the summer to try to get into the lineup but it hasn’t happened. So you don’t even worry about it anymore. Why argue about it?
It’s about the team and it’s not about me. I’m sure there’s a whole group of people who want to start and stuff but you just try to fulfill your role and do what’s best,” Turner said.
Comments (40)
Comment removed.
He's made his own bed. Either he tries to do too much and turns the ball over or he makes more than his share of bad decisions.— miket47- @Quixote...Jrue does a similar manuever on penetrators, except he swipes his arms down low, often deflecting the dribble...Concerning ET, something's brewing...or coming to a head...Yesterday, Thorn and Cooney in separate radio interviews had less than flattering comments on the kid...Today , on DNL, roundtable of Dick Jerardi (knowledgeable, but hasn't watched many Sixers' games) called for either playing or trading, while beat reporters Lynam and Cooney more or less said he hasn't earned it (not untrue)...They all seem to say ET just didn't fit...If he doesn't play, his value is in the crapper...Don't think the Rams have similar anxieties with their upcoming #2 pick......Funny thing, the beat reporters said ET was purely an Eddie Stefanski pick...— bearsfriend
- When he plays, he is playing with one eye over his shoulder at Collins. He, in his mind, has to play a perfect game lest he be yanked and put on the bench. He makes one mistake? His confidence shrinks even more. It was interesting listening to Thorn in saying that ET plays the same position as Iggy and not quick enough to be a PG in this league (that, along with the way Meeks 'opens' up the floor) where is there to play ET? This seems like an interesting pick considering the Sixers needed a big man and Cousins and Monroe are looking pretty good during their sophomore years. I have a feeling that if the Sixers make a trade, ET will be the focal point. Hopefully this doesn't come back to bite this franchise in the behind, because this could hurt.— ESFjellin
- Collins didn't want Turner. He was another player with a similar game to players the Sixers already have, and didn't feel a need. He's also just not that good.— Northeaster
- It sure seems that way...but DC WAS here when the Sixers took him...Did DC slip and hit his head BEFORE the pick? I find hit hard to believe that a lame duck Ed Stafanski was the SOLE decision maker behind the pick... — bearsfriend
- Sure let him play, only because Meeks is not lighting it up. But really what do you honestly expect from Turner? I hate to break out the B word but he looks like a BBBBBBUST.— bilmarz
- But while Dei and Bob protect DC from the "why" did they go with ET (he's not a #2 guard with his perimeter range, skill sets similar to Iggy,minus the D and verticality)...if my memory serves me, Dc was hired in May of 2010, and the workouts with ET,Wes Johnson,Cousins, and Favors (who Rod Thorn picked #3 for the Nets) took plae in mid June...DC HAD to have a say in who the club picked...PR pick as Evan was "College Player of the Year"?...Did the Sixers think they were trading Iggy, but found deals not worth doing because of his salary?...Somebody needs to take one for the team and turn an ankle slightly, so the Sixers can either showcase, or find out what they have...rather than be mired in being a "nice little team".— bearsfriend
As a player and as a coach, Doug Collins has always been hard-wired to win win ,win, That's why he has been successful. And he surely wants to improve over last season's .500 record, increase Wells Fargo Center attendance and please the Sixers' new owners.
But what Collins should be doing is finding out whether Even Turner will ever be good enough to allow Rod Thorne to trade Iguodala. The Sixers are not going to win an NBA title this year. And Meeks is never going to be anything more than a role-player. So wouldn't it be better to let Turner start at the two-guard position and see what we've got. The worst that could happen is that the Sixers get a better draft pick this summer.- It doesn't seem like Collins is a fan of Turner, and it appears that he's not the only one in management who feels that way. I think Turner at times DOES try to do too much, and other times he's too passive.
The perception of Turner is similar to Iguodala's. In the eyes of many, Turner should be expected to live up to the hype associated with a lottery pick, and Iguodala should be expected to perform based on his salary. While these arguments sound reasonable, they tend to make observers focus on what these two can't do, and ignore what they do and can contribute.
Before Iguodala was drafted, the consensus was that he was a all-around player, not a big-time scorer or shooter. While I question some of Collins' coaching moves, he has allowed Iguodala to play to his strengths, and he and the team has flourshed, even if his stats take a hit.
Turner is also more of an all-around player than a scorer, with more basketball IQ and a handle than Iguodala, but without Iguodala's breathtaking athleticism. Once Turner figures out his bread and butter is posting up smaller guards, his offense will come around. Other than inconsistent confidence, Turner's main problem is that HE this of himself as lottery pick and feels like he isn't getting a chance to prove it.
Collins and others in the front office probably see Turner as a player with the ego of superstar, without the accomplishments or maturity of a star.
Turner needs to forget his draft position, the fans and the front office's perception of him, and figure out his game. One of the first things he needs to do is stop the fancy dribbling, it only proves something to him, and contributes nothing to scoring.
Turner's game should be the blue collar, thinking man's approach, similar to Elton Brand, Sam Cassell, or even Andre Miller. Cassell did and Miller and Brand still do rely on anticipation and guile rather than athleticism.— DontBeFooled - speculation by who john? you? to stir things up? get real or go back to covering the wizards...bring back kate. at least she knew the game she wrote about— jmleo
- I believe it is a relevant piece, although right before a game? — bearsfriend
- DontBeFooled....great post, and it seems like we're beating it to death here. The key, like you say...is "figure out his game",as in knowing what he can and cannot do out on the court. Roaming around the court with the ball, attacking the rim may have worked against the Golden Gophers,yet the JaVale McGees of the league aren't backing down...Add Brandon Roy to the list of approaches for ET to take with his uncanny ability to get where he wants on the court, ET should feast on the mid range pull up shot, and work off that. Maybe a few shots go down early for him tonight!.....DBF, are you MLH?— bearsfriend
- Not sure an agent has any business being in the locker room, much less TALKING about coaching decisions.— aviator
- Bring back Gordan Giricek from Cibona Zagreb and all this two guard discussion becomes moot.— dasher
- The only player on the team that actually get to play their games are Iggy, Williams and Meeks. These are Collins selected few to flourish. Everyone else has too much wrong with their games to be good, start, be a star or whatever excuse is used to justify whatever Collins wants to do with the team.
The truth is the wheels are falling off because of Collins petty preferences and eventually he will go back to being what he is. A confidence killer. Is there any coincidence that Micheal Jordan and Collins share the same attitude and GM skill in regards to young players? Or that Collins was begging the Sixers or anybody for another coaching opportunity for years on the air of TNT. The guy was out of coaching for a reason. Unless everybody on his team is 30 years old and more he is a virus to young players confidence. If he was such a great coach he wouldnt have had to wait as long as he did for another coaching opportunity. He is a confidence killing dude and its starting to permeate throughout the team.— Zeru - People ignore facts in order to believe what they want. Evan Turner hasnt played enough to be characterized as a bust. Its personal because he isnt the player Collins wanted in the draft. Collins wanted Favors or the other 3 point shooting kid the Timberwolves drafted. And because he didnt get him Turner will never be one of his guys no matter how hard he works just like Speights wasnt. When the wheels fall off Collins will go down as another Ed STefanski blunder.— Zeru
- bearsfriend...thanks, and good call about Brandon Roy, his game seems similar to Turner's. I'm not MLH; why would you think I was?— DontBeFooled
- I don't know...when I read posts, especially good ones, I try to always put a voice to it..Maybe you used a common word, maybe I'm just nuts...Anyway, keep up the insightful posts! — bearsfriend
- Going back to the draft, there was tremendous pressure from the fan base for the Sixers to take Turner either as a two guard or the replacement for Iguodala who so many fans despised. Supposedly, there was a trade in place for Iguodala but the new owners, not sure about the new CBA, nixed the deal. Whether Collins wanted Turner is debatable, as he spoke most highly of Wesley Johnson and also liked Derrick Favors. Given the strong support of Iguodala by Collins and the erratic playing time of Turner and the body language between the two men, would anyone be surprised if Turner was traded ala Marreese Speights? As for Dei Lynam and Bob Cooney, unlike Kate Fagan, they will report what the Front Office tells them, but all the negatives coming out now make it all but certain that they are greasing the skids for Turner and preparing the fan base for the trade.— chuckw
- I have always been a fan of Jim Lynam, but tonight on the pregame show, in heaping praise on Spencer Hawes, he claimed that most big men are uncomfortable playing away from the basket, which completely contradicts a recent interview with Jabbar, who lamented that most bigs prefer these days to stand outside and shoot threes, rather than play with their backs to the basket. Hawes was playing well, BUT whether he could have continued to play well is uncertain, given his tendency against teams with length to get into early foul trouble and get sent to the bench by DC.
Sixers should stomp Golden State tonight.— chuckw - chuck...exactly, it's starting to come from all sides, like a blizzard...Concerning Lynam, I'm glad he did call out EB on a halfa_s screen, as there have been many wimpy picks in recent games...I agree with you that the Sixers come out and run,run,run!— bearsfriend
- Man let the kid start and see what he does, He's a starter and needs that vote of confidence from the coach. If you watch him in interviews he's clearly upset with his playing time and i would be as well. He has no other role on this team other then to start...and if DC wont do that then label him a Speights and trade him away.— Sixers are focused
- Turner has already done more than Shawn Bradley ever did in his entire career. Comparing Turner to Bradley? Might be time for retirement from the sports writer business, that's just atrocious.— JimG
- Give Lou the keys.— bearsfriend
- Can someone please tell me why Holiday plays 41 MINUTES tonight....what does he do that makes him so special....listen would I like to see more of Turner yes but for 2 reasons.....1) Lets see if he can play 2) Showcase him so you can increase his trade value....its obvious DC is not a big fan.....you must play him or trade now or his value will be plummet.....it just makes no sense....— bbrady25
- I"m starting to think that Collins indirectly plays General Manager by not playing the guys he doesnt want or favor on the team. By not playing Speights he got rid of him. Now Turner is next on the hot seat. After that I suspect Holiday.
Collins can just reform the roster based on the guys he wont play regardless if he needs them or not. The Sixers were ready to trade Iggy this offseason for a big man and Collins was very vocal about keeping Iggy here. If they trade Iggy he would be forced to play Turner major minutes and Turner isnt a Collins guy because he wasnt Favors or Johnson (Thanks ChuckW forgot his name). So because Collins didnt get to choose the pick that year he punishes the organization and the fans regardless of the players talent and ability to make the team better. There is no way in the world you can convince me or any sane basketball fan that playing Jodie Meeks over Turner majority of the time is the correct basketball decision when all Meeks does is shoot 3's. Turner can pass, rebound, start the break, has a nice midrange motion game and HIGH basketball I.Q. I watched the rookie game last week and he was the MVP despite Kyrie Irving's shooting display.
Its sad watching a team you think can be really good go to the bin because of inner demons or a attitude problem. Especially when it comes from the Head Coach himself.— Zeru - Turner is not playing because he can't shoot. From anywhere on the court. And THAT'S what this team needs right now. Not another slasher, especially from the 2 spot. Team did not want to pass on the college player of the year. Their mistake. Cut/trade him and move on. How come the knicks can trade their entire starting team for Melo and within one year build a 15-deep lineup of SHOOTERS?? The sixers have no pure shooters at all. Odd. Hope Thorn can regain his 2001 Nets smarts...— Shragez
- "Falk not pressuring Sixers to play Turner." Really? I guess the headline writer didn't read far enough into the story to see David Falk's quote: "The only thing is that now they have lost six of their last seven games and now it might be time to reevaluate how they are doing some things. They are really having a hard time scoring the basketball." Falk wasn't suggesting that the Sixers run more pick-and-rolls. He was suggesting -- pressuring? -- that they play his client more.— iceman
- I think what we're seeing here tonight with GS is that Turner has lost confidence in his game. That much is clear. None of us really know if it is Turner who is screwing things up with his game or if DC has screwed up Turner's mind. DC has been known to do this to young players.
As an example, look at Speights. With the Sixers, you would think Speights is a poor player, with Memphis, I heard coach Sam Mitchel on NBA TV call Speights a reliable 12 ppg scorer. A lot of this is in the mind, and the right environment. Maybe Holiday is a good enough shooter to fill the role of a 2 guard, and ET plays the point.— wilmington - Turenr is a 1 and Jrue is a 2 - both playing put of natural positions. Doug must go - bring back Eddie Jordan @!— 7mel11
- Wow only in Philly do we create such drama. RealGM 'insider' posted that the Sixers are shopping Turner and Nocioni for a shooter. Maybe thats why Falk rolled into town?
Clearly to me Turner should be in the starting lineup ahead of Meeks, which gives the Sixers two versatile guards who can play off of each other. Both can initiate the offense, this should be a strength for the team not an issue. What did Spoelstra say in Miami? 'Those guys (Lebron & DWade) will figure it out....whoever has the ball can start the offense'. Couple of notable plays from last night when ET had the ball: 1) he hit Jrue as he curled off a screen for an open jumper -reminded me of ESnow and AI 2)nice up-ahead pass to Thad for a dunk (court vision) 3) nice drive to the hoop - however layup rolled out (confidence?) 4) great hustle on that out of bounds play shielding the GS player.
Turner is a scorer not a shooter, he's not a traditional two guard, let the kid create!!!— PhillyBill - Collins is an average coach, not a championship-caliber coach. And it is because of that that I can't fully support his coaching choices. There is a reason his gets fired after a couple of years into his contract. He reaches his ceiling, and his ceiling is average. We are not going to get a truly winning coach until we show that we are willing to try to build a strong team.— Notajerk
- Turner played great for Mo Cheeks last week. He started and was a big part of his team's win at the Rising Stars game. My guess is he'll play just fine for any other coach who uses him correctly.— rzzzzz
- Don't give up on Turner .. has tons of ability and will florish with PT!!!— bill poore
- I love Collins but he is scrwing this one up. I have followed Turner through college and he is a conscientious kid(big word for you people)who needs shown confidence in. He is the Sixers most talented all around player and should be running this team. He is the type of player that can get to the line a lot. He should be running the point. If he played 35 minutes he would probably average at least 7-8 boards a game. He could fill up the stat sheet like Iguodala but take it to the hole a lot more. Collins insistence with having a team with no "superstars" is great but they are NOT winning the title this year so take the @%^#$ shackles off of Turner and let him ball.— gametime64
- The problem with E.Turner is he's too nice as a Sixer...IMO, E.Turner needs to smoke a joint, & release some of that fire still instilled in him from Ohio State, & their championship run!..Because E.Turner can help this team better playing, then on the bench decaying!...He not developing, because he has no SG mentor. Trade Nocioni, & Brackins for S.Jackson & E.Turner will excell. Onother way of E.Turner being a productive Sixers is give E.Turner productive minutes, & meaningful minutes to play threw his mistakes...While us fans are so tired of the Sixers management who are scared to admit their mistakes!...& DIS "DA TRUTH114"!..lol & Go Sixers!— datruth
- @ChuckW.. During the draft there was unbelievable pressure from the media to draft Evan Turner. Particularily Kate Fagan whose philosophy was that iggy wasnt a scorer and that we needed a guy who we could put the ball in his hands and create. Well thats what we drafted. Then Stefanski proceeded to hire Doug Collins.
Ironically.. "Most" of the posters wanted Demarcus Cousins while some said Favors. But I can confidently recollect most of the posters wanting Cousins while Kate Fagan's groupies backed her thoughts up. Nevertheless... We drafted Turner and hired Collins. Collins is notorious for destroying young players and Turner's game was supposed to be the answer because his game was mature and he knew how to play.
Most of the fans thought it redundant to get another perimeter player when we had an aging Elton Brand and Sam Dalembert as our answer at center. While others professed their confidence in Hawes being the answer at center because he could play the game "European style". ( Low blow I know.. forgive me I couldnt resist ). Problem is Turner has more game than Meeks. Meeks is nothing more than Steve Kerr, B.J Armstrong, James Jones or Jason Kapono with more athleticism. None of "specialist" are starter worthy for their teams and abroad. But on Collins sees value in starting a player who does only one thing good while Most contending teams bring those kind of guys off the bench for a spark. If you do find a 3 point player starting for a quality team he can do more than just shoot 3's. Ray Allen for example. Or the 3 point guy is so good its hard to keep him out of the lineup.
Turner is a bigger version of Brandon Roy. While Brandon Roy wasnt a 3 point specialist or great shooter.. somehow the Blazers found a spot for him to play. What I fear most is Turner being traded and becoming a star while we get pieces in return that dont add up to what his talents are.
Collins needs to get a grip and bench Meeks. No questions asked.— Zeru - Why aren't the posts and game results making it into the e-editions on KINDLE???????? Kate was on time on her posts. John do your job! And Turner is out of shape fat. Could be a problem with hunger. He is not hungry. Not a philly guard. No lunch pail.— LaCroix,Nolet,Gendron
- Thank you, David Falk. And Mo Cheeks. And the new ownership. How stupid would we have been if we ended up giving this kid away for a bag of peanuts when he played this good for his next team?— rzzzzz
1
Popular Posts
About this blog
John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
Classifieds:
Site Services:
Partners:
Powered By:
