Evan Turner or Jodie Meeks: Wouldja Rather...

by Michael Levin on Jan 8, 2011 9:26 AM PST in Read and React

One is the number 2 draft pick of the 2010 class. The other is was acquired for Royal Ivey.

One was honored with the NCAA Player of the Year Award. The other fled to the draft when three touted freshman were coming on campus.

One shares a similar skill-set with Andre Iguodala. The other fills the gaping hole of an outside shooter.

As you have probably gathered from the title, one is Evan Turner, and the other is ~~Tanner~~ Jodie Meeks. Up until last night, Jodie was going as cold as cold can be for a shooter, having shot under 35% from the field in the past month. Turner had started asserting himself on the offensive end without Iguodala, even though his percentages hadn't yet caught up with it. Despite Doug Collins' recent comments that Turner will turn(er?) it around, he's shown that even when #9 is on the sidelines, Evan doesn't deserve to be starting just yet. Meeks, meanwhile, has started in 18 consecutive games.

It's clear to most (hopefully all) that Evan Turner has the brighter future with this organization. He has a wider skill-set and his first half struggles should not condemn him to a bust-labeled career. Meeks is a nice complimentary player that should top out as a 6th man on a good basketball team -- he's simply not good enough at anything besides shooting, making him far too weak to start on a good basketball team. The Sixers are not a good basketball team, so he's snuck into the lineup since the beginning of December.

But as of now, it is evident that they are better with Meeks at shooting guard than with Evan because of Jodie's ability to stretch the floor with his jump shot. If Andre gets traded or continues to sit, some would rather see both of them than Andres Nocioni, but that's a separate argument. Basically, as always, this debate is whether it's more important to win now or develop the players with the highest potential.

Poll

Who should start at shooting guard the rest of the season?

Evan Turner

238 votes

Jodie Meeks

213 votes

451 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 20 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

For me it's sort of like why Lou Will shouldn't start

We have a player at his position who is the future and has the potential to be better. I like Meeks paired with Lou Will off the bench but i think moving forward we have to go with Jrue and ET starting. With no Iguodala of course.

by TitansJonne on Jan 8, 2011 9:38 AM PST reply actions

Actually...

…Meeks would be a perfect compliment to Jrue and ET with no Iguodala. I’m just sayin’ :)

by dweebowitz on Jan 8, 2011 10:59 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

Turner’s got to earn it. So far he hasn’t.

by mopey on Jan 8, 2011 9:47 AM PST reply actions

Turner needs the chance to develop

Meeks probably gives the sixers the best team right now, and the golden ticket to play the heat in the first round, but to me evan turner’s development needs to be the number 1 goal this season, along with assessing the role he’ll have on the team in the future. There’s no reason the 2nd overall pick shouldn’t be getting 30+ minutes on a team that doesn’t have a chance to contend.

by Primoz4Breakfast? on Jan 8, 2011 10:08 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

It’s Primoz for breakfast!

Liberty Ballers / Ridiculous Upside / SBN Philly / Twitter

The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known As Michael Bourn

by Michael Levin on Jan 8, 2011 10:19 AM PST up reply actions

I am honestly shocked this vote is even close...

let alone with Meeks leading.

Turner is the future. Plain and simple. In the same vain, as mopey said above, he hasn’t earned that spot.

BOILER UP!! 2010-2011

"You can commit no mistake and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." - Jean-Luc Picard

by EREX21 on Jan 8, 2011 10:13 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

He hasn't earned it but given the way he starts slow

It may be best to throw him out there during the game more.

by TitansJonne on Jan 8, 2011 10:22 AM PST reply actions

For the whole year?

I think this vote is worded too concretely. Maybe, who should be starting now is Meeks, but eventually Turner could take over as he develops. I believe you earn your spot. These guys practice everyday, and I am confident that when Turner earns his spot he will get it. I just do not understand the attitude of giving a guy a spot just to let him “develop.” Since when can players only develop in games.

What do you think practice is for anyway?

by 6612 on Jan 8, 2011 10:33 AM PST reply actions

You talkin’ ’bout practice????

by dweebowitz on Jan 8, 2011 10:50 AM PST up reply actions

Exactly

Meeks should start the next game, but Turner can overtake him at some point during the season if he starts playing well.

by philiafan14364 on Jan 8, 2011 1:06 PM PST up reply actions

what is Turner role on the sixers? Meeks has a role Turner doesn’t. This is just a learning year for Turner.

by kosmic on Jan 8, 2011 10:39 AM PST reply actions

Or, perhaps...

…they trade the guy Turner has the same skill set as, let Turner play his position (SF), and put both of them out there every day. :)

Meeks serves a purpose that no one else on the current roster serves. He is only a second-year player, not some grizzled veteran who is getting in the way of developing a young guy. There is no reason he shouldn’t play if he is playing effectively. Turner, unfortunately, serves the exact same purpose as Iguodala…a swingman who can do pretty much everything reasonably well (except for shoot the three…either of them) but nothing spectacularly.

What’s my point? Meeks is not the roadblock here for Turner. Iguodala is the roadblock. It’s time for him to go. Now, does that mean I have suddenly changed my mind and have now joined the feverish throngs who want to trade Iguodala for a case of rotten fish just to get him off the team and get Turner out there every day? I have not. I still think they have to maximize what they get for him. But go he must. Not just to get Turner out there, but to get the raw material needed to rebuild this sorry crew we all spend way too much time worrying about :)

by dweebowitz on Jan 8, 2011 10:49 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

Turner was drafted 2nd in 2010 and was considered the best player in college basketball.

Now, fortunately for us, we’ve seen glimpses of that best player in college basketball. Turner’s problem is his aggressiveness(or lack thereof). A coach typically sticks to the hot hand. If Turner’s actively looking for(and making) his own shot, he’ll get minutes. He got minutes in Denver, Phoenix and LA because he was actively looking for and making his own shot.

Heck, even in the Hornets game where he went 2-14, I appreciated the fact he laid it out there on the floor. It was a bad game and it happens. But when he goes 0-5 once again(more focusing on the mere 5 shot attempts) and that’s not what you wanna see out of the #2 pick.

Whether you guys like it or not, he’s a wing man and the NBA’s big man drought is self-evident. A wing man is a scorer, a playmaker, an elite wing man elevates you to the next level. Turner elevated those Buckeyes to the NCAA tournament, so we know he can do it.

I think Turner should be starting over Andres Nocioni. For as much as I like Nocioni and his hustle, it’s better served on the second team where you have guys like Lou and Speights and Brackins who at best are one-dimensional scorers in this league. Similarly, it’d be nice if we could address the front-court in this year’s draft.

With the right draft, we could be the next Oklahoma City. We’ve got Holiday, Meeks, Turner, and you do need scorers like Thad, Speights, Lou etc off your bench. Remember the 2007 days where Reggie Evans was our best bench player? Yeah. And it’s not like we’re an awful defensive team with these guys(mostly Lou/Thad) playing crucial bench minutes.

I don’t think Iguodala commands all that much in a trade. He has 3 years left on his deal, maxing out at 15 million and I said before I think he shouldn’t be paid more than 8 million for what he brings. So what you might consider as trash Dweebs(I don’t know the forum/post you refer to, could you link me). I might consider as a serious offer.

If we get a say, Jason Thompson(just throwing the name out there), a pick, etc. Then I think that’s what we’re gonna get. Hornets offered Thornton, expiring, pick. Blazers offered Batum, Pryzbilla’s expiring. This is it, he’s a B caliber player in this league.

We’re not getting a Favors for him, we’re not getting even a Wes Johnson. We might get a pretty good young kid with some question marks perhaps, some expirings and maybe even a solid mid-lottery first round pick this year. But we’re not getting a stud for him.

Because Iguodala himself, is not a stud in this league. He is what he was in Arizona: A versatile swing man starter.

by LeQuan Glover on Jan 8, 2011 12:04 PM PST up reply actions

I'd be OK...

…with a deal with Sacramento, for Jason Thompson, a first, and expiring money. But some of these deals had us taking on horrible contracts for no players at all, other than the bad contracts of a couple of bench guys. Mind you, they weren’t even rumors, they were trade machine exercises by a bunch of people like us, and maybe not even as knowledgeable.

Look, I know you hate the guy. I like him. It’s all good. While you may not like his game, he’s still the most valuable trading piece on this roster. And they have to do better than Brendan Hayward’s six(!)-year contract for him.

by dweebowitz on Jan 8, 2011 3:37 PM PST up reply actions

some would rather see both of them than Andres Nocioni

I think this should be the question rather then if ET should be starting over Meeks. Yes Meeks is best served coming off the bench but right now it is best that Meeks starts since AI9 is out and ET should start with him instead of Nocioni.

by The Legend on Jan 8, 2011 11:11 AM PST reply actions

Until Evan Turner improves his no-rotation, heavy jump shot he shouldn’t be starting at SG. If Collins decides to give him more minutes it should be with a lineup where he has the ball, or posts up smaller players. Meeks makes the opposing defense more honest, giving Jrue the opportunity to drive or dish if he’s doubled, and the spacing on the floor is much better when he’s in there. Turner should get his minutes, but not with the starting unit.

by pumper on Jan 8, 2011 1:03 PM PST reply actions

I think it's Turner's foreign shoes

Success will be the best revenge

by secondroundpick on Jan 8, 2011 1:37 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

Start them both.

by Ben16 on Jan 8, 2011 7:41 PM PST reply actions

Neither of them deserve to be a starting 2 guard in the NBA, neither of them is anywhere near the player Iguodala is. The difference is that Meeks compliments Iguodala with his skill set. IF you want to see Andre score 20 a game, the team around him needs to be a better scoring group, in order to give him more open looks.

Jodi with his outside shooting helps to open lanes. IF we could establish Speights as an inside presence as well, Iguodala would become that 20 ppg. player.

ET is still figuring out how to play in this league, and I don’t think he will ever be as good as Iguodala. So talk about trading him to get ET more minutes is about as stupid a basketball move as you can make!

by RickoT on Jan 9, 2011 10:35 AM PST reply actions