Collins Sees Himself in Evan Turner
At the start of the 1976-77 season, Doug Collins, then a fourth-year guard with the 76ers, was in a quandary.
“I had to figure out how I was going to get my points,” said Collins, who averaged 20.8 points in his first season with McGinnis. “I still wanted to be a 20-point scorer, so I figured out a recipe: four jumpers, four layups, and four free throws. I had to get in where I fit in.”
This is the approach, albeit modified, Collins, who averaged 18.3 points playing alongside Erving and McGinnis that season, wants Evan Turner to apply in this, Turner’s third season.
“If I had a little pixie dust, a magic wand or something, I’d wish that I could get him to relax a little bit more and not put so much pressure on himself. He wants to do so well all the time. I want him to understand that a bad play is not the end of the world,” Collins said. “Three missed shots is not the end of the world – next play.
“Evan is such a perfectionist, and I can relate to that because I am, too. But I would just like for him to be able to do the things that he does great. Rebound the ball. Push the ball in the open court. Make plays and defend. Just let all those things happen. Evan wants to be great, and we want him to be great.”
Loading ...
