Fernando Torres or Demba Ba?

 

  Can Fernando Torres and Demba Ba co-exist? Photos courtesy of football.co.uk

The addition of Demba Ba to the Chelsea roster certainly can't hurt the clubs on field play. At 27, Ba is in the prime of his career, and has showed his goal scoring prowess at previous clubs. The dilemma interim manager Rafa Benitez has is, how will both see adequate time on the pitch? Chelsea has been known recently for using formations with one striker, taking advantage of their skilled midfield players. Before Ba's arrival, Fernando Torres was clearly the first choice forward, and has had an okay season thus far, depending on who you ask. With a top four finish not looking certain for the Blues, they have options to consider with their front men. Does Benitez give a nod to either player as his first choice, and lone striker? Does he alternate between the two, similar to last season with Torres and Didier Drogba? Or could Chelsea possibly employ a two striker lineup?

After a "disappointing" beginning to his Chelsea career, Fernando Torres has shown more flashes of his old self this season, and more importantly, has improved his consistency a bit. If anything, Torres has at least been a mainstay in the Chelsea lineup this season. He's played in 23 contest, and started in 21. At first glance it would seem that Torres is having another poor season, as two midfielders, Frank Lampard and Juan Manuel Mata have both scored more (eight) than Torres (seven). Though when you break things down a bit more, Torres' season hasn't been bad at all. With the sheer skill of the players around him, Torres' goal count is bound to take a hit. The aforementioned Lampard and Mata are proven scorers, also players such as Eden Hazard and Ramires have goals in them. Digging a bit more, if you count the games Torres has started, it equals to a goal every three game. He could certainly do better, but one in three is respectable. He also has 24 shots on goal this season, which again averages to just about a goal every three shots on goal.

Demba Ba is still getting his feet wet at Chelsea, and doesn't have many numbers yet to go off of. He's played in three games, starting two, and has a goal to his name. Ba is known for his days at Newcastle United, where he scored at an excellent pace, and did so with style. During his time at St. James' Park, Ba scored 29 times in 54 appearances, and also knocked in two more during league cup play. While we haven't seen much of Ba yet in a Chelsea uniform, his reputation speaks for itself. As the games come and go, he should become more acclimated to his settings, and hopefully for Chelsea fans, return to the form he showed while at Newcastle.

Both Ba and Torres have previous history of being class scorers, but that isn't the question. The question simple is, how will the two co-exist? While Chelsea hasn't lived up to the ridiculous standards of owner Roman Abramovich, they've been able to keep a place in the top four utilizing a lone forward formation. Benitez could continue to employ a lone striker setup, but at the risk of angering one, or both men.  Alternating between the two, going with the "hot" player in a sense could also be an option. But again, would either Torres or Ba agree to that type of plan long term? Finally, Chelsea have the option of trying to play them both, using a two forward system. This seems the most logical of the options, but could disrupt team chemistry, and would take a talented player off the pitch.

So how should Rafa Benitez use his two strikers in the latter half of the season? Leave a comment or tweet (@mojo_FTNB) and let us know!

Is Evan Turner A Bust?

 Has Evan Turner reached his ceiling? Photo courtesy of NBA.com

76ers guard/forward Evan Turner has been a subject of some debate recently. It seems as though everyone has a different opinion on the former #2 overall draft pick, is he a bust or not a bust? The question is valid, as on the surface, it appears no answer is quite definitive. On one hand, Turner hasn't shown a consistent "wow" factor that a top five pick is expected to show. On the other hand, while not flashy, Turner has slowly but steadily improved each season during his time in the NBA? So is Evan Turner a bust?

In terms of pure statistics, the answer would be no. In Turner's first season he only averaged 7.2 PPG, 2 assists, and just about four rebounds. His pedestrian numbers were caused by a couple things. Firstly, it's obviously going to be hard making the transition from college ball to pro ball, no matter how high you are picked, nearly every players goes through a rough rookie patch. Secondly, he quite simply did not see a ton of court time. He played in 78 games, and started just 14. During his rookie season Evan only averaged 23 minutes per game.

During the lockout shortened season, Turner showed some improvement, while only playing around two more minutes per game. He saw an increased field goal percentage and an increase in scoring average. Turner also saw his rebounding numbers increase by about two more a game.

Finally, Turner has definitely shown signs that he can be a solid starter if given the proper minutes. He has started all 42 games this point in the 2012-2013 season, and averages 36.5 minutes per game. 14 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and a steal are nothing to sneeze at in terms of production. The greatest improvement in Turner's game has to be his accuracy from beyond the arch. He's shooting a career high 41% from downtown, nearly double his percentage from last season.

For all the improvement he has shown, Turner does lack the flash and attraction of a former #2 draft choice. You can't gloss over the fact that Turner rarely dazzles the crowd, or put up those huge stat lines that are expected of players drafted in his position. It's very hard to describe, you hear analysts say some athletes don't have that "it" factor about them. That's what's bogging down Turner's reputation, not necessarily his play, but the way he acts on the court. I can imagine people watching a 76er broadcast and saying, "wow" I forgot Evan Turner was the #2 pick."

Even after two and a half seasons, the jury is still out on Evan Turner's "bust" status. There are valid arguments on both sides, and we may need to see the rest of this season, as well as all of next to correctly assess Turner. To be fair, the players selected around him haven't been so amazing themselves. Derrick Favors and Wesley Johnson have been far from standouts. John Wall is yet to truly hit his stride, but has looked good since his return from injury. So is Evan Turner a bust? Or is it still too early to tell? Leave a comment or tweet and let me know what you think!

A Season Ruined: Andrew Bynum

A short video for the 76er fans, check it out!