It looks like Tyreke Evans has hit his ceiling, for the most part. It would be fair to assume he'll make some minor advances throughout the next 5 or so years, but he'll never be the best player on a contending team. He'll never be the 'every year all-star' we all sort of expected after his rookie season.
This has something to do with coaching, it has something to do with position changes, it has something to do with injuries, but that isn't the whole story here. He's just not that guy.
With that being said, I still think he is incredibly valuable to this team. He is our second best player, and he's still the key to this entire season. Cousins is Cousins, we know what we'll get from him. I can't tell you what were going to get with Evans from game to game.
I would love for him to embrace the Iguodala role. I just don't think his brothers will let him accept that, and I think it's hurting him. They seem to think it's superstar or bust, which is great if the player has that in him, but I don't think Evans does. I have no proof of this, but it feels like those guys are in his ear telling him he needs the points. Which causes those 3 or 4 possessions in a row where he takes off balanced jumpers for no apparent reason.
If Evans can give us 12-15 PPG, 6 Reb, 4-5 AST, and play spectacular defense I want him on this team forever. And the truth is, he is doing that most of the time. His defense this year has been the best it's ever been. The issues now are a bit different then they have been in the past. The most important is 'Is he happy?' , which I can't answer. The next issue is his horrendous shooting percentage. This is where I come to the conclusion that he may not like this role, and that his people are telling him he needs to score more. He's shooting .369 from the field, which is BY FAR the worst of his career. His 3P%, which has never been good, is also FAR worse than it's ever been. For someone who should be taking most of his shots at the rim, his percentages just aren't good enough.
I want him here, though. I really do. If he can embrace the 'jack of all trades' role, and be happy with it, without forcing shots that makes his FG% plummet, he's going to make a ton of money in this league. I just hope that's good enough for him and his brothers.