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!