After registering to DNPs in his two of his last three games, rookie guard Evan Turner was the one filling the role vacated by injured spark plug Lou Williams in Boston on Tuesday. Turner logged 33 minutes and dropped the second most points of his short NBA career with 21. (He had 23 against Phoenix way back in December.)

The fact is Turner, the National Player of the Year last season, has not lived up to expectations this year. The second pick in the draft is averaging a pedestrian 7.1 points and two assists per game. Listen to Sixers coach Doug Collins and you’re led to believe it’s not all his fault. The fact is, Collins has said that Turner is a distributor who can make things happen when he has the ball.

The problem with all of this is that the Sixers have a rising star at point guard in Jrue Holiday and a scoring backup in Lou Williams. There just isn’t room for Turner right now.

Of course, this begs the question, will there ever be room for Turner? If not, can you trade him for fair market value when the kid barely plays?

Look, the Sixers have been lucky enough to be in a position of being patient with the kid this year. Jodie Meeks has stepped in and done a fine job as the starting two guard.

Still, Meeks would be better served in an Aaron McKie role as the sixth man who is a defender and can light it up when he needs to. Remember all the time Blue would drop 20 points if Iverson was out? If you can put Meeks in that role, you have the makings of a championship bench.

The problem with that right now is you don’t have a shooting guard. The Sixers need a star at that position to truly rise toward the top of the East. Turner was to be that guy. He’s not.

Turner is a point guard in a SG/SF body. If he was playing next to an Iverson, it’d be ideal. He could guard the bigger guys much like Eric “Sleepy” Snow did. The problem is your star gaurd is a point guard.

The best the Sixers can hope for right now is to have Williams run 2G and have Turner come off the bench with him as the PG. Otherwise, Turner is a solid player without a role on this team.