Turkoglu Not Yet Paying Off for Raptors

ORLANDO -- The money is too good for Hedo Turkoglu to have any kind of regrets. It's the Toronto Raptors who might be having second thoughts now.

They may have given a star's contract to a not-so-star player.

Winning the offseason chase for a high-priced free agent comes with no guarantee -- except that the payroll will rise.

The Toronto Raptors committed five years and $52 million this summer to lure Turkoglu away from the Orlando Magic, only to watch him struggle through this early-season adjustment, failing to deliver the kind of big-money return they wanted.

"It's not the kind of start we had hoped for (from Turkoglu),'' said Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo Wednesday evening before the Raptors lost to the Magic. "But it's probably the kind of start that most people expected. It's just too early to come to any conclusions.''

His scoring (14 points per game), rebounding (4.8) and assist averages (4.0) all are down from the last two seasons when he carved a reputation as a late-game, go-to scorer on a legitimate contender, helping the Magic reach the NBA Finals in June.

"I'm not happy with the way I've played, not at all. I'm trying to find my role and get comfortable there. It's been frustrating. Losing is frustrating."
- Hedo Turkoglu Colangelo figured that Turkoglu would start slowly, coming off the Magic's extended playoff run through June, the draining free agency uncertainty, and the two months with his Turkish National team that played through September.

But he did expect a little more than this.

"He was so fatigued that when he got to us (at the start of training camp), he had nothing in the tank, absolutely nothing,'' Colangelo said. "Emotionally and physically, he was empty.''

Accentuating the Turkoglu problem is the way the Raptors (11-17) have played, which is poorly, and especially on defense, which is not Turkoglu's forte. A year ago, he had center Dwight Howard behind him to erase his lapses. Now he has center Andrea Bargnani, whose defensive skills also are lacking.

"It (Turkoglu's addition) has just been okay,'' said Raptors star Chris Bosh. "Not the best, so far. To be frank. We still have to find ourselves. He still has to get comfortable, and we have to play a lot better.''

Instead of playing for a team expecting to contend for an NBA championship, Turkoglu is playing for a team that is struggling to find an identity, threatening to implode if Bosh decides to leave this summer.

"I'm not happy with the way I've played, not at all,'' Turkoglu said. "I'm trying to find my role and get comfortable there. It's been frustrating. Losing is frustrating.''

Turkoglu, 30, would have stayed in Orlando if the Magic had offered similar money, but they were nowhere close, offering about 50 percent less with two fewer years. They already had decided that they had capitalized on Turkoglu's best years, worried that his play would start slipping quickly once he received a new long-term contract. They opted to trade for Vince Carter, instead.

Magic 118, Raptors 99:
ORLANDO, Fla.(AP) -- Dwight Howard has a message to fans sitting courtside: Look out.

Howard had 18 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks, and the Orlando Magic spoiled Hedo Turkoglu's return with a 118-99 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year had fans dodging balls in the stands at near the rate of the burritos being chucked into seats with pressurized guns between timeouts by the arena's entertainment crew.

"You pay to sit that close, beware," Howard joked.
-- Continue Reading The Raptors Wednesday lost to the Magic, 118-99, for the third time this season. Turkoglu, in his first time back in Orlando, had just 14 points and four rebounds, hardly factoring in the outcome.

The Raptors have been without Reggie Evans -- their best defensive player -- all season because of a foot injury. This week, they are without starting point guard Jose Calderon because of a sore hip.

"We're going to get better, but it has been tough,'' Turkoglu said. "I'm learning new players, a new team. It just takes some time.''

Turkoglu has had some good games this season, but they have been few, and they often have been lost in defeat. Like he did so many times during his five years in Orlando, he hit a game-winning shot in overtime to beat the Wizards with :08 remaining. But he also scored 20 points in a loss against San Antonio. He had 20 points against Boston, but they lost again. He had 19 in the first meeting against Orlando, and they lost.

"He's had a little bit of a slow start, but he's starting to get acclimated now, to who we have, what we do,'' said an optimistic coach Jay Triano. "We're getting used to him, too.''

Turkoglu isn't the only free agent last summer who got big money and has failed to make his team better. The Pistons (11-13) paid Ben Gordon more than $50 million to leave Chicago, but his scoring is down, and they are struggling to reach the .500 mark. Portland gave Andre Miller $20 million over three years, but they aren't sure they want him anymore.

"I made my decision in July (to sign with Toronto),'' Turkoglu said. "And I've moved on. No second thoughts. It's just frustrating when you lose.''