Sixers rookie Turner sees gain from pain of Summer League

ORLANDO - Two good things happened to 76ers rookie Evan Turner yesterday:

1. He played his best game of the Summer League when he scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds in the Sixers' 85-56 loss to the Utah Jazz.

2. The Summer League ended.

The relief on Turner's face was evident after yesterday morning's game. He looked as though he had just gone through some of the roughest days of his young life.

Because he had.

"I know I have to be in shape to compete with this type of competition," he said. "It's a lot more competition, and everybody down here is playing so hard. They're playing to get or keep a job and put food on the table, and I got my butt kicked. It's the first time in a long time I've gotten my butt kicked. I'm glad it happened now instead of in November, December or January."

Turner's lack of conditioning was due to the fact he had rarely been on a basketball court since his season ended at Ohio State on March 26, when the Buckeyes lost in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament to Tennessee. Knowing he would be a high draft pick, Turner was advised to stay away from highly competitive games to avoid injury.

Meanwhile, nearly all of the players assembled for the eight teams that competed in Orlando are trying to make it in the NBA. They prepared themselves for weeks just for this week.

It wasn't a good mix for Turner.

He finished the five games in 5 days averaging 9.4 points and 5.6 rebounds. He turned the ball over a team-high 17 times and made only 13 of 39 shots from the floor (33.3 percent). Still, new coach Doug Collins wouldn't trade the week his first draft pick suffered through for anything.

"I think this was the best 8 days of Evan's life," Collins said. "As painful as it might have been, he understands the level now that you have to be at competitively and in shape to play this game. When you're not in the greatest of shape, you can't play at the highest level. It doesn't matter how good your skill level is. He'll go from here, and now he's got form now until the end of September to do what's necessary."

Collins was pleased with Jrue Holiday, Jodie Meeks and Marreese Speights, the other three players who participated this week who will be on the roster come the season opener.

"Jrue was at an incredibly high level," Collins said. "He was one of the best players here. His confidence level is really high.