During the offseason, many NBA teams were splurging with too much money as the salary cap raised to an all-time high. Offers were made to players who have only produced pedestrian numbers in previous seasons which got them overpaid in the eyes of many.
One of them is Portland Trail Blazers guard Evan Turner who agreed to join the team on a four year, $70 million contract. It came as a surprise to many that he was offered that much as Portland needed a big man to compliment their dynamic backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.
The offer was so unbelievable for him that his agent knew he'll have a difficult time to keep it to himself, so he called to remind him just that. However, Turner had already shared the details to ESPN's Zach Lowe and his good buddy and mentor, Andre Iguodala, who told him to take the offer immediately.
The Blazers' decision to invest in Turner has drawn a lot of criticism as the 28-year-old Ohio State product has failed to impress so far this season but he insists he is still learning the sets of head coach Terry Stotts, especially on the defensive end, but will eventually get there as the campaign progresses.
“We're learning each other. I have to trust the defense he calls out. We'll get it down.”
Whether he likes it or not, Turner needs to improve quickly and show that he can adjust to the system of his new team. Most importantly, he needs to prove that he can co-exist with his backcourt mates and adjust his game to make him worthy of his very hefty paycheck.
If that doesn't happen soon, the notion on him being way overpaid will be magnified even more and will appear as a mistake the Blazers will have to live with for the next four years.
Follow Us
Subscribe