A new Sixers column? Let’s get after it…
Evan Turner puts Philadelphia on blast
I’m certainly someone who holds a grudge when it comes to Philly sports figures who sucked in this fair city of ours. Some, however, ultimately slip through the cracks, forgotten for even freaks like myself. One player I hadn’t thought of in a long, long time was Turner.
On Monday night’s NBC pregame program before the Sixers took on the Heat in Miami, Turner, now a commentator, remarked that he “can’t stand Philadelphia.”
Turner doubled-down on his comments on social media after, calling his three-and-a-half years with the Sixers “a disgusting experience as a player” and referring to Boston as a “real sports city” in comparison.
This isn’t some guy like Donovan McNabb or Bobby Abreu, who were criticized often back in the day despite putting up stellar stats. He was, to be frank, terrible in Sixers red, white and blue. The No. 2 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Turner’s demeanor and disappointment on the court were the epitome of the post-Allen Iverson era, pre-Process era malaise that defined this Sixers franchise.
Sure, I’m just some idiot writing all of this from the comfort of his couch, but Philadelphia is far from the reason Turner’s career didn’t pan out despite his lofty draft status and his All-American accolades at Ohio State.
On the list of things that keep me up at night about the state of the Sixers and the things that have gone wrong for the organization in the last quarter of the century, Turner rarely warrants mention. Well, until now, I guess!
What happens if the Sixers only crack the Play-In Tournament?
I don’t mean this from a matchup perspective, but simply for what it means for us as Sixers fans, in our souls. I will preface with the caveat that I attended the Sixers’ Play-In home win over Miami back in 2024 and was rather thrilling as Nicolas Batum caught fire, nailing six threes on his way to 20 points in the victory, but I don’t want to have to deal with the stress of that!
It is what it is at the end of the day given the injuries Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey have dealt with on top of Paul George’s suspension this season, but it remains a deflating and perhaps even a little bit of an embarrassing charade the team will have to go through, and, more importantly, overcome, if they can not be one of the top-six teams in the Eastern Conference. The East is the toughest it’s been in forever, so, I get that aspect, but we’d be adding another game (or more) to the never-ending anxiety this fan base faces. We don’t deserve it!
25 years ago this week…
On April 1, 2001, the Sixers hosted the Pacers in a playoff preview. Iverson, in the midst of his MVP campaign, torched Indiana for 37 points, adding seven assists and three steals along the way in the 104-93 win. The victory was the Sixers’ 51st of the season. They’d go on to finish with 56 wins on the year, the most for the franchise since its 58-win season in 1985.
A rookie grade for VJ Edgecombe
With seven regular season games remaining on the schedule for the Sixers, it feels apt to grade Edgecombe’s rookie season, 68 games in. He has roughly a 16-6-4 stat line. The shot was worlds better than I imagined it’d be. He’s played with the energy I expected. He’s been a blast to watch.
I give him an A- as the No. 3 pick.
Let’s see what his age-21 season holds for him come the fall!
How about the referees on Monday night in Miami?
For the well-being of Liberty Ballers as a whole, I will keep my mouth shut about whatever was happening on that front…
