The Portland Trail Blazers made a surprising start to their preseason, as they had another player run the point guard duties for them instead of Damian Lillard. The two-time All-Star was on the floor and started their game on Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns, but Terry Stotts asked Evan Turner to set up the offense in their first few plays.
Turner admitted, via Mike Richman of The Oregonian, that the instructions his head coach gave also came as a shock to him, especially because his natural playing position is at small forward.
“That shocked me, too,” Turner said.
The good news for him is he has one of the best backcourt tandems in the league today as his teammates in Lillard and C.J. McCollum. He understands how talented the two are, and that it makes it easier for him to be successful in his new role knowing that he will be passing to either of them.
“When it comes down to it you got two sharpshooters. When I have to run the offense I'm passing to two of the better shooters in the world. So, of course, it makes it a tad bit easier and opens things up.”
It may still be early days in the preseason, and it can be considered an experiment for now if he'll continue to play point guard for the Blazers this coming season, but if it benefits Lillard and McCollum on the offensive end of the floor, it could be a normal sight seeing Turner as their playmaker. That said, he could increase his assists total this year, and become a matchup problem for their opponents, being one of the taller players at the one spot, as he stands 6-foot-7.
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