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ATLANTA – The NBA announced Tuesday morning that Evan Turner finished fifth in the Sixth Man of the Year voting, trailing winner Jamal Crawford of the Clippers, Andre Iguodala of the Warriors, Enes Kanter of the Thunder and Will Barton of the Nuggets.
Turner came off the bench during 69 of his 81 appearances this season, averaging 9.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while providing Boston with significant versatility. He became an even more potent player during his 12 spot starts, during which he averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
“I can’t imagine anybody being more valuable off the bench than Evan,” Brad Stevens said at Tuesday morning’s shootaround ahead of Game 2 in Atlanta. “We wouldn’t prefer to have anybody else at that spot.
“He’s been extremely valuable. He guards three positions a night, sometimes four positions, and obviously we have him with the ball all the time.”
Turner, at 6-foot-7, has served as one of Boston’s primary ball handlers all season. He finished second on the team in total assists (359) and assists per game (4.4).
Additionally, Turner has been a strong veteran presence in the locker room. His laid-back approach has been a calming effect on the young Celtics.
Turner continued his trend of taking things in stride Tuesday morning, when he was notified of the Sixth Man voting results. Despite the fifth-place finish, he relayed that he was excited simply to be in the conversation.
“I didn’t really expect to win in general,” he said with high spirits, “so fifth or first, it doesn’t really matter. It’s cool to get that recognition and to be acknowledged for that.”
Turner will be a critical piece to Boston’s puzzle as the Celtics head into Game 2 tonight. Avery Bradley is out with a strained right hamstring, which opens the door for either Turner or Marcus Smart to step into the starting lineup. Based upon what the two have done all season, as well as Turner’s history in the league, their teammates are confident that they are capable of stepping up when their team needs them most.
“They have the talent to start on a lot of NBA teams, and Evan has been a starter in this league before,” said Jae Crowder. “Those guys are special to our team. We look at them as a pivotal part of our team and they definitely have the talent to be starters.”
Turner has stepped up all season long in a multitude of roles for the Celtics, and he was acknowledged for that with Tuesday morning’s Sixth Man of the Year results. Game 2 will stand as yet another opportunity for him to prove his worth.