Celtics Notebook: Evan Turner Having A Ball In Green

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2015/04/celtics_notebook_evan_turner_having_a_ball_in_green





Celtics Notebook: Evan Turner having a ball in Green







Photo by: Matt Stone
UP AND IN: Evan Turner shoots over Indiana’s Paul George during the Celtics’ win last night at the Garden.

Thursday, April 2, 2015
By:  Mark Murphy



Evan Turner’s three triple-doubles as a Celtic are also the only three of his career.

It’s not that there’s something in the Boston water, so much as what Brad Stevens’ system allows the swingman to do. Whereas coaches often attempted to turn Turner into a spot-up shooter in his previous stops in Philadelphia and Indiana, he’s been allowed to play with the ball in his hands as a Celtic.

“I’m getting used to the system, the personnel is good and when we execute we’re pretty tough to beat. This is a team thing, a unit thing,” Turner said last night following his 13-point, 12-assist, 11-rebound performance helped the Celtics secure a 100-87 win over Indiana. “It’s definitely cool, it’s definitely fun. The biggest thing is that you end up winning.”

Stevens isn’t buying that his system has made the biggest difference in Turner’s play.

“It’s not anything to do with me,” said the Celtics coach. “I think the one thing is he plays in a lineup where he has the ball a lot, and he’s probably never had the ball that much before, as far as playing the point. Evan is playing well, but it’s not like he’s forcing anything. He’s just playing good basketball. He’s got the ball in his hands a lot.”


Kelly left in stitches

For one night, anyway, Toronto native Kelly Olynyk looked more like a hockey player than a basketball player. To be precise, thanks to the long hair and closed-over eyelid, a Hanson brother.

The Celtics forward suffered a four-stitch gash on his left eyelid during a pregame one-on-one game with Shavlik Randolph, taking an elbow to the eye. After taking his stitches, Olynyk returned to hit most of his shots in a pregame workout, and played in last night’s game.

He checked in for the last minute of the first quarter, and almost immediately buried a 3-pointer.

“My arm is still ringing from it,” said Randolph, who appeared to be the most bothered of the two players by the collision. A movie other than “Slap Shot” came to Randolph’s mind when surveying the damage.

“He asked me how it looked, and I told him he looked like Rocky, right before he told Mickey to cut him,” Randolph said. “Dead serious, that’s how it looked. He took it like a man. He had a golf ball in his eye.

“He just jumped into me, into my arm. I’m surprised he got up. He got hit pretty hard. It took about 30 minutes for me to feel my arm again. His head got hit hard. We have some pretty heated one-on-one battles before the game. He made a good move, I bit on it, and he jumped into my arm.”

In light of Duke’s Elite Eight win over Gonzaga, Randolph was asked if last night’s collision was an extension of his Blue Devils beating Olynyk’s Zags.

“No, I’ve already collected on that game,” he said.


Give Gigi a shot

It sounds like Stevens would like to have Luigi Datome on his roster for another season.

“He’s our best shooter, and one of the better shooters I’ve seen,” the Celtics coach said, repeating an oft-stated observation about Datome. “I hope we can continue to find opportunities for him, because he’s earned that. I really like him. I’m in his corner, and I’ve had that conversation with all of our people in the front office as well.”


Feeling’s mutual

Pacers coach Frank Vogel and Stevens have long had a mutual admiration society. Not surprisingly, Vogel is very impressed by the team he is now chasing for a playoff spot.

“He’s done a sensational job. He’s using a lot of things that have worked, and show how the league is changing,” said Vogel. “He’s using five 3-point shooters. . . . It’s a credit to him that he’s being innovative, and he’s getting the most out of his group.”



bob




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Bob

Re Turner, that right to left behind the back move looks so awkward yet more times than not the jump shot that is a result of that move hits nothing but net.

I know by the time September/October rolls around a lot of these guys will be gone, I hope Turner is not one of them. But then I can say that about everyone else too.

beat

Brad is properly modest.  But the reason Evan Turner has the ball in his hands a lot is because Brad's system facilitates it.  But it has understandably taken Evan a while to find his right level with this team.

Take three-pointers.  Or rather, see Evan take three-pointers.

Nov. Took 0.85 3pg and hit 18.2%
Dec. Took 1.20 3pg and hit 44.4%
Jan. Took 1.94 3pg and hit 35.5%
Feb. Took 1.82 3pg and hit 15.0%
Mar. Took 1.56 3pg and hit 28.6%

He started out very cautiously in November, taking fewer than one pper game and hitting 18.2%

He upped the ante in December, shooting fractionally more than in November but hitting what would become a season high (so far) of 44.4%.

Apparently, his December success beyond the arc gave him added resolve; and, in January, he attempted a season high (so far) 1.94 per game in January; but his shooting percentage dipped to 35.5%.

So he cut back a bit in February, taking 1.82 per game and hitting a woeful 15.0%.

Now, perhaps he has leveled off, shooting 1.56 per game in March and hitting 28.6%.

I can only hope that this bell-shaped learning curve is reflective of the fact that he, like other Celtics, is refining his contributions and limiting to them to what he does best.

His mid-range game can be absolutely destructive, and he possess the ability to penetrate and finish strong or get fouled.  He has helped fill the rebounding void left by Sully's absence, and his recent assist/TO ratio is 3 to 1 (since the all-star break).

In short, Evan is like many current Celtics.  He's contributing what he can contribute best.

Sam