Evan Turner and Shabazz Napier Need at Least Four Assists Each Game They Play
Although there is a chance that the latter might not suit up against the Warriors, Napier’s play in the last two games of the season show that he can score. He’s enough of a threat that if he gets time on the court, he needs to take advantage.
Turner on the other hand will play. Whether he’s running the second unit or playing point guard with McCollum and Lillard off the ball, he will have the ball in his hands a lot.
Both players have the ability to score, and their ability to find open teammates rely on that. Napier is like Lillard with his sneaky quickness and the ability to drive into the lane. Once he does, knocking down a few floaters will force the defense to collapse on him.
Not quite as fast, Turner bullies his way into the paint. Either backing down his defender or putting his head down and battling, he will need to get to his mid-range spots. If he puts up a few points as well, then Golden State will have to respect him too.
Both players ability to get into the paint should spread the floor if Terry Stotts plays shooters with them. The saying is “E2C4,” meaning Engage Two, See Four. When one of these players gets by their defender, then the defense has to adjust and throw another body in the middle to stop the drive. When this happens, if the offense is spread out enough, there is an open player somewhere.
If Napier and Turner can find the open guys for easy baskets, then it adds a whole other element to the Blazer’s offense besides watching Lillard and McCollum. Napier has the potential to pull a “We have a C.J. McCollum problem” throwback to the Memphis series a few years ago. He hasn’t had much playing time, but he can be explosive.