Trail Blazers: Can Turner and Crabbe Coexist?

A look how Trail Blazers newest acquisition Evan Turner can play alongside Allen Crabbe

It’s no secret that the Trail Blazers are desperately looking for help in the front court. In fact, nearly every center on the market has been linked to Rip City. So, when the team went all in on Chandler Parsons yesterday, it confused those of us who believed a big man should be the number one priority. As it turned out, Parsons favored grit, grind and blue jazz over food carts and rain, deciding to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies.

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All good then right? GM Neil Olshey could now focus on bringing in a game changing center, right? Wrong. Just minutes after Parsons made his choice, the Trail Blazers signed Evan Turner to a massive four-year, $70 million contract. Some were excited, but most were straight up stunned. No matter your opinion on the agreement, one question rose to the surface: Does this mean the end of Allen Crabbe in Portland? The way I see it, no – it’s just the beginning.

Frankly, Evan Turner is a much better fit for the Trail Blazers than Parsons would have been. Parsons, a great three-point shooter who defends at a high level as well, mirrors Crabbe’s talents much more than Turner does. Playing for Boston last season, he averaged 10.5 PPG/4.4 APG/4.9 RPG. While his scoring average leaves much to be desired (especially from a number two overall pick), his ability to pass and be active on the boards is a real plus.

Dec 31, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Allen Crabbe (23) drives to the basket defended by Utah Jazz forward Trey Lyles (41) at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports /

Truthfully, I don’t see Allen Crabbe ever being able to contribute the ways Turner did for the Celtics in 2015-16. Their points per game are almost identical (10.3 PPG for Crabbe), but Crabbe averaged considerably less assists and rebounds in similar amounts of playing time. Still, there is one aspect of Turner’s game that makes a player like Crabbe worth keeping around.

Never known for his outside shooting, Turner shot the second lowest 3PT% of his career (24%) last season. He only attempted one shot beyond the arc per game and averaged 0.2 3PG. Imagine the audible moans in the TD Garden crowd whenever Turner would heave up a three-pointer.

This is where Crabbe has the upper hand. He shot nearly 40% from downtown and made 1.4 3PG. Behind Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, AC was the best scorer and shooter on the team. That won’t change with Evan Turner coming on board.

What it will mean is that Crabbe will most likely have no chance to be in the starting lineup. In an interview yesterday with OregonLive, Turner claims that Portland “…sold him on a starting role”. As the team’s starting small forward, he will have the opportunity to play alongside franchise players Lillard and McCollum – an exciting prospect for any player in the league.

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If re-signed, Crabbe will slot right back into the sixth man role that served him well last season. With Turner playing more as a point forward who can handle the ball and Crabbe as a spot up shooter, Portland has become exponentially more deep at the wing. Even with Turner in the starting five, Crabbe should see around the same amount of action. Given Crabbe’s superior ability from three, we could see him finish games on the court more often than Turner.

Unless Crabbe is hit with an extremely large offer from another team, expect the Trail Blazers to match anything that comes his way. With Turner in the mix, the Trail Blazers have a set of skilled wings who score in very different – but compatible ways.