Potential Fit
If you were just to look at strengths and not weaknesses, Turner seems like the perfect fit for the Suns. A big man who can step out and hit a shot and protect the rim seems like something the Suns could really use, but that is unfortunately not the case.
Turner’s mobility is a big, big problem, and although he does have solid speed for his size, it’s something that would hurt the Suns in trying to get out and run against other teams. However, Turner could really help the team in half court situations.
If the Suns were to add Turner, and he were to develop, the team would theoretically transition away from relying heavily on its guards to relying more on its bigs. With Turner and Alex Len both being able to step away from the basket and hit a shot, the Suns might do better as a half court team with the floor spaced enough for a guy like Eric Bledsoe or T.J. Warren to slash inside and get to the bucket. But that’s kind of already the case with Markieff Morris playing the four, even if Turner offers some advantages over Morris.
Turner’s shot blocking and rebounding abilities would be a nice step up from the Morris twins, but again, that’s all contingent on Turner actually being able to play the four at the NBA level.
There’s also one more matter to consider, which is that Turner struggled against other top competition at the college level, in what was kind of the opposite scenario to Alex Len two years ago.
In college, Len posted 23 points and 12 rebounds in a game against Kentucky. In three games against Duke he averaged 12.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, which included a 19-point, nine-rebound outing. He also went for 20 points and seven rebounds against North Carolina, showing that when the lights were at their brightest, he was going to have a big game.
Turner, on the other hand, fell flat against top-tier talent. Against Kentucky he managed just six points on 20 percent shooting from the floor, while fouling out in just 18 minutes. Against Baylor, he averaged just 5.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, going up the best rebounder in the Big 12 in Rico Gathers.
Turner also struggled in postseason play, posting just 3.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in the Big 12 Tournament and NCAA Tournament. He never scored more than five points in a postseason game.
However, it should once again be taken into account that in all of the games I mentioned (vs. UK, vs. Baylor twice, Big 12 Tournament, NCAA Tournament), he only played more than 18 minutes just one time, which again goes back to how he was being used by Rick Barnes.
There’s certainly a lot of risk with Turner, but under the right coach and on the right team, he could really blossom into a good NBA player. I’m just not 100 percent convinced that team is Phoenix.
Next: Conclusion