The Portland Trail Blazers are one of the more intriguing teams in the league next year. They overachieved by many standards; it’s unclear if they can sustain that level of play.
The Blazers also had an interesting offseason. One of the most controversial decisions all summer was the Blazers signing Evan Turner to a massive four-year deal. It’s unclear whether or not Turner can live up to that contract, but he does offer some great uses to the Blazers.
Chief among those skills is Turner’s playmaking. While traditionally a wing, Turner is a good passer and is able to create and use passing lanes at a high level. In fact, the Blazers are so high on Turner’s playmaking that they want to use him as their backup point guard:
Terry Stotts says Evan Turner will share backup point guard duties with CJ McCollum this season.
— Jason Quick (@jwquick) September 27, 2016
This makes a ton of sense. McCollum was effectively the backup point guard last season, running the offense while Damian Lillard sat. Now, the Blazers can allow Turner to run the show while McCollum continues to play more of the scorer role that he is great at.
The Blazers have some positional flexibility on their roster. Evan Turner’s size as a backup point guard could be a huge advantage for them.
