Evan Turner was a "do everything" type of player for the Boston Celtics last year and was a key part of their run to the playoffs. Going into the 2015-16 season it is unknown what kind of role Turner might have with the team because of the immense amount of depth on the Celtics roster. There were some that suggested Turner might be on the trading block earlier this offseason but now it appears he will be with the Celtics and reportedly should see a lot of playing time, according to Jay King of Masslive.com.
The Celtics are expected to have one of the most competitive training camps in the league as they have 16 players on guaranteed contracts that all likely warrant a roster spot. Turner was never in danger of being cut but the idea of trading him came up because of all of the depth on the roster. Brad Stevens though is reportedly a huge fan of Turner and will find ways to utilize his unique skillset.
"I anticipate he'll find the court a lot and in big moments because he's a basketball player," said Stevens.
Turner is not expected to start this season as Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley are the likely starters on the wings but he could be a key role player off the bench. Isaiah Thomas, if he doesn't start, will likely be the sixth man but Turner will be right behind him off the bench based on what Stevens said. Last season Turner played with the ball in his hands a lot but now with Thomas and Marcus Smart both healthy and ready to play it will be interesting to see if Turner still handles the ball a lot.
In 82 games with Boston last season (57 starts) Turner stuffed the stat sheet and was a nightly threat for a triple-double as he averaged 9.5 points, 5.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game. Turner only shot 43 percent from the field and 28 percent from three but he brings so much more to the table than just scoring so it would be wise for Stevens to get him in the rotation. Turner will be 27 when the season starts and is entering his sixth year in the league and second with Boston.
