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Sixers play final Summer League game today

Maybe an early morning game will awaken Evan Turner's game.

New Sixers guard Evan Turner says in his bio that he likes to golf during his off time. In golfing terms, then, Turner is probably going to take a mulligan on his play this week down here in the Orlando Summer League.

The second pick in the draft had a tough go of it again last night, making just 1-of-6 shots from the floor, scored 5 points, committed five fouls and had three turnovers in his 19 minutes of play. So frustrated is he with his play that he has gotten into the bad habit of showing it with his body language and, at times, not hustling up and down the floor at time.

Last night, towards the end of the third quarter, Turner failed to run hard down to the offensive end after a Bobcat turnover. At the end of the quarter, coach Doug Collins, seated at the end of the Sixers bench with assistants Michael Curry and Brian James, seemed a little upset. He then talked to assistant Aaron McKie, who is running the team, and McKie removed Turner from the game. He didn't go back in at all in the fourth.

The signs are there that Turner is a terrific athlete. It certainly isn't a time to panic. He seems to be a step off in everything he does, and it really does appear to be rust from not playing much basketball since the end of March in order to stay injury-free before the draft.

The body language and the lack of hustle is annoying, and it is certainly something Collins has/will address with Turner. Collins talked earlier this week about a player needing to have his motor constantly running at a high level when playing the game. That needs to happen with Turner, whether he's playing well or not. He is a good, smart kid. It wouldn't be surprising if that problem is corrected soon.