Off-Day Open Thread: Say It Ain't So, Hedo

(via NBA Graphs)

The picture above says it all. It's tough criticizing a Magic player when he isn't entirely the reason why Orlando lost last night versus the Philadelphia 76ers. But still, Hedo Turkoglu needs to be held accountable for his poor play yesterday. 

You know what Ben had to say in his recap, regarding Turk. Here's a quick look at what other people had to say about the artist formerly known as Hedo Turkoglu:

Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus:

Alas, Hedo Turkoglu--seemingly bothered by the sprained ankle he suffered late in the regular season--suffered through a miserable night, shooting 2-of-12 from the field and turning the ball over five times. Turkoglu (-7) was the only Magic starter with a negative plus-minus. [...]

 

[Stan Van Gundy] has to give strong consideration to cutting Turkoglu's minutes (he still played 40 in Game Three) if Turkoglu continues to struggle with the injury. Orlando has still outscored Philly in this series, so its play hasn't exactly been a disaster, but the Magic badly needs a win Sunday and to go home tied at two games apiece.

Tim Legler of ESPN.com:

The Magic's sweet-shooting forward just doesn't seem to have it. We asked about the status of his previously injured ankle before the game, but the Magic downplayed the idea that it was a problem. But you could see it on a number of plays in going to the rim that he's not getting the lift you need to finish strongly. He had many fruitless drives to the basket when Orlando needed one, going 2-for-12 from the field along with five turnovers. [...]

 

It might mean Mickael Pietrus getting more minutes in place of Turkoglu. 

David Steele of the Orlando Magic:

- Interesting, though I’m not sure how significant stat..Orlando’s top two +/- players in the series are Courtney Lee and Mikael Pietrus at +5. Biggest minus player is Hedo Turkoglu at -3.

I'll quickly add my thoughts. After three games, it's evident that Hedo is hurting the Magic - he's not contributing on offense and he's getting abused on defense. Here's a rundown on how Turkoglu has faired statistically in the series, so far:

PER - 7.3

TS% - 43%

eFG% - 26.7%

Offensive Rating - 89

Those are terrible offensive numbers. As for defensive statistics, there aren't many readily available but a quick look at Turk's adjusted defensive plus/minus show that he's been dreadful (Andre Iguodala has been scoring at will, it seems). Look, Hedo has done a lot for Orlando this year but at some point, if you're Stan Van Gundy, you have to do what's best for the team. Turkoglu isn't cutting it right now, for a variety of reasons (dealing with the contract situation, fighting an ankle injury, etc). Given the magnitude of Game 4, you have to think a short-term fix is needed for the Magic. 

I never thought I'd post this poll, but the question must be posed.