Evan Turner set to start first game with Pacers

Evan Turner will have an opportunity to show he can help solve the Indiana Pacers scoring woes when he makes his first start since being traded to the team over a month ago.

The Pacers are mired in a serious scoring slump, going 3-8 in their last 11 games and averaging under 84 points in that span. The decision to rest their starters against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday means Turner is likely to play more than 30 minutes for the third time in 24 games with Indiana.

The 30-minute mark is an important one for Turner, who has averaged 20 minutes off the bench since joining the team. Turner scored at least 20 points in each of the two Pacers games where he eclipsed the 30-minute plateau - his only two games with more than 15 points since the trade.

Turner's career scoring average jumps from 8.2 points when he plays between 20-29 minutes to 15.0 points when he plays 30-39. The difference is even more noticeable this season, with Turner jumping from 8.9 points to 19.0 when his minutes reach the 30-39 mark.

A large part of the improvement comes in the form of efficiency. Turner appears to establish a rhythm as he becomes more involved in the game - something reflected in his field goal percentage, which raises a full five percentage points (39.7-44.7) between the 20-minute and 30-minute ranges.

Whether or not Turner's career production increases will mean anything on Wednesday with a lineup of bench players remains to be seen, but Indiana could certainly use more offense and Turner seems like the prime candidate to provide it.