HoopsHype.com Rumors

Turner makes the game look easy when he is flourishing, and his three-year career at Ohio State was filled with those type of moments. But that difficult first season paled in comparison with those of other high draft picks, and he had to regain his confidence. “When you know you are going to play a lot, it’s a little bit easier,’’ he said Sunday following the 76ers’ practice at the Garden in preparation for Monday night’s Game 2. “Once you’ve been through something before, it’s easier to go through it a second time or third time. I played some big minutes last year in a playoff situation and this year, too. Every transition’s going to be rough and you have to pay your dues to get to where you want to go. And once you get that comfortability, that’s key and you can fully start developing more and sometimes start taking risks and not worry about messing up a little bit because you understand what you did. “Last year when I would mess up, I wasn’t too sure what I did wrong or if I was good enough to do that. Now I’m starting to get more comfortable.’’ Boston Globe

Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner 

Praised for his defensive effort after being put into the starting lineup for Game 2, Sixers guard Evan Turner was quick to deflect the flattery. He's learned about defense in the NBA from teammate Andre Iguodala. "If you ever sat there and talked to him, he's like a coach," Turner said of Iguodala. "When there comes a timeout he can tell you everything that's broken down. Once he says stuff, you know he's telling you right, and you don't have to worry about much." Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia 76ers, Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner 

Turner went on to call Iguodala a "defensive genius." When told of Turner's comments, Iguodala smiled and recalled one of his first lessons to Turner. "I've been in the league a long time, and when Evan first got here he kind of took things for granted, which rookies do," Iguodala said. "And then he kind of learned his lesson from Kobe Bryant. Every time Kobe scored, [Turner] would look at the bench with his hand up. I'm like, 'OK, keep playing. He's going to score a lot more.' I'm trying to teach him the basics of NBA basketball, especially with being a defender. Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia 76ers, Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner 

Tom Moore: #Sixers Evan Turner: 'The last couple plays, coach put the ball in my hands. I didn’t want him to regret that decision.' Twitter

Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner 

In a story that appeared in the Delaware County Daily Times, Chicago native and Sixers’ guard Evan Turner thinks the Sixers would rather play the Bulls because, “It means we’re dodging the tougher team. That’s what I think." The better team, of course, being the Heat? “We will be able to compete well against Chicago and have an opportunity to win the series,” he said. CSNPhilly.com

Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner 

Sixers coach Doug Collins said it’s no mystery as to why forward Thaddeus Young had one of his worst games of the season Wednesday against the Knicks. Collins said it’s because Young’s weight is down to 213 pounds, or two less pounds than guard Evan Turner. “My two-guard weighs more than my power forward,” Collins said. He said Young’s weight loss stems from the upper respiratory virus that he had two weeks ago that kept him out of the game March 7 against the Celtics. Typically, Young weighs around 220 pounds, although Collins would like him to be 225 pounds. Courier-Post

Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner, Doug Collins, Thaddeus Young 

Martin Frank: Turner refutes report that he has a problem: "Everything's going fine for me" #Sixers Twitter

Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner 

I see you guys on Twitter a lot—I saw that you and Spence over the summer were having an argument between who was better, the Backstreet Boys or N Sync. Care to stick up for your guys a little bit? Evan Turner: Yeah, the Backstreet Boys? They just made album after album. Hits, you know. 'N Sync only had…what was it…it wasn't Celebrity, it was No Strings Attached. Which was amazing from front to back. And then Celebrity was just overrated. And then Backstreet Boys, they been going hard with Millennium, you know, Black and Blue and all that stuff, so they been on top for a while. They still make music today! They're like a white Boyz II Men. The 700 Level

Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner 

Martin Frank: Turner on skirmish w/Durant: "He threw a hissy fit. He said some words. I said some words. [Not] anything to go nuts about" #Sixers #Thunder Twitter

Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Kevin Durant, Evan Turner 

Why that title: Anthony and the rapper Fabolous hosted the event at Vain, which proved to be one of the most populated nightspots the entire ASW. When and where: We arrived sometime after 1 a.m. at Vain, just in time to see some of the biggest names hanging around this weekend to arrive. Performers: Fab -- who was a popular party guest and host this week -- once again took the mike. Before he arrived -- which was closer to 2 a.m. -- we counted four DJs in various spots around the nightclub, which actually was a nice touch. If you wanted to hear the good salty language hip-hop that gets sold out of car trunks, you likely were hanging out on the rooftop, where a DJ spun ATL-sounding hip-hop. If you wanted more mainstream pop, dance and hip-hop music, you tried to muscle your way to the main floor. And if you wanted to hear Drake, Lil Wayne and made-for-radio hip-hop music, you may have stayed in some of the private VIP rooms. Celebrities we saw: Kobe Bryant walked in just as we were walking in, which caused ripples of excitement throughout the crowd in the street. Kevin Durant, Andrew Bynum, Anthony, Lala Vasquez, Fabolous, Russell Westbrook, Ne-Yo, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kamerion Wimbley and Evan Turner. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Andrew Bynum, Evan Turner, LaMarcus Aldridge, Russell Westbrook, Lil Wayne 

As he walked in the tunnel on the way to the Sixers’ locker room moments later, Turner, a second-year swingman, tossed the towel into the air. Asked after Tuesday’s practice if he’s “cool” with Collins, Turner replied, “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” When a reporter brought up Monday’s events and wondered if it was just the heat of the moment, Turner said, “I guess so. I’m not really thinking about it anymore. I went to sleep. It’s a new day.” phillyburbs.com

Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner 

Spencer Hawes: Thinking about starting up a podcast with @Evan Turner. What do u guys think? #showyaluv Twitter

Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes 

Yesterday at the team's practice at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, coach Doug Collins brought in a yoga expert so his club could work out some of the kinks it has collected during the blitz of an early season that has had them play nine games in 13 days. Gimping around the practice facility were Evan Turner (thigh contusion) and Spencer Hawes (Achilles' strain). Hawes has also been struggling with a strained back recently. Collins said he was grateful there was no game yesterday as he thought neither one of those players would have been able to play. For tonight, when the team hosts the Denver Nuggets, the coach said both would be a game-time decision. "We're beat up," Collins said. "Evan is still pretty sore, Spencer has a sore Achilles.' I think playing [Monday], his back was still not right and I think he was probably just compensating. So we did a little something different, we brought a yoga instructor in today and our guys had 30 minutes of yoga and I think they really enjoyed that. It was good. Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner, Doug Collins, Spencer Hawes 

Evan Turner: just voted for former 76er, Xavier Silas for the d-league all star game. Everyone should #showyaluv and do the same http://www.nba.com/dleagu… Twitter

Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner, Xavier Silas 

Hill, in his 17th season and now a member of the Suns, thinks Turner will be a good fit playing point forward. "When Doug got there in my second year, he put the ball in my hands, and I enjoyed it," Hill said before Wednesday's game with the Sixers. "It was great. The thing is, knowing Doug, if he thinks you can do that, it means that he trusts your ability, and it gives your team a different look. Most teams aren't used to having their shooting guard guard the guy who runs the offense." Hill said he sees a lot of similarities between himself and Turner, who played a lot of point guard in his final season at Ohio State. Hill said he wasn't familiar with the situation in Philadelphia. However, he believes that Turner will be successful. "He's done it before," Hill said. "He's got a year under his belt, and he has a better understanding of the league now, so I don't see it as a big stretch. Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Evan Turner, Grant Hill 

However, when I asked him about last year’s No. 2 overall pick, Evan Turner, he expressed some reservations that I thought were interesting. "I’m interested myself to see how Evan turns out," said the scout, who requested anonymity. "He had a slow start in college relative to where he ended up. It seemed like his game turned a corner when the ball was put in his hands, and he’s a guy that seems to be at his best when the ball is put in his hands a lot." Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner 

Sixers coach Doug Collins is going to make a point of putting the ball in Turner’s hands when he’s on the floor, so Collins has clearly bought into the consensus out there on Turner. The Scout seemed to think that his progress will hinge on this. "I wonder if his development, growth and ability to impact the game are going to depend on that," he said. "And if it is, is he going to get the opportunity to maintain control of the ball that much… I really am just as curious where that turns out myself. He’s obviously improved this summer and worked hard. But overall, I think that one is a little less predictable, especially relative to where he was picked and what standard he’s trying to live up to based on his college career." Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia 76ers, Evan Turner, Doug Collins 

Doug Collins isn't the only one looking forward to Evan Turner and Andre Iguodala playing together more this season. Turner also can't wait to be paired with Iguodala after the two similar-sized slashers didn't spend much time on the court during Turner's rookie season. "Not only is it the coach's vision, it's myself and Andre's vision as well," said Turner on Tuesday. "We're trying to make it work. I think Andre and I have been doing a better job of communicating and trying to figure out ways for us to play together." phillyburbs.com

Philadelphia 76ers, Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner, Doug Collins 

Turner had a busy summer, spending time with shooting guru Herb Magee to get rid of a hitch in his jumper and playing a lot of ball. "(I was) just getting my game back and gaining a lot of confidence through hard work," he said. "I think it was a great summer." phillyburbs.com

Philadelphia 76ers, Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner, Doug Collins 

Hall Of Fame coach Herb Magee, a "shot doctor" who has mentored Charles Barkley, Jameer Nelson and Sebastian Telfair, among many others, spent part of the offseason working with Philadelphia 76ers wing Evan Turner. "Turner has improved. He's learning how to play through a couple missed shots. He's willing to listen, a terrific, bright young man," Magee said during a phone interview on Wednesday. SN Nation

Philadelphia 76ers, Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner, Doug Collins, Herb Magee