(Associated Press)

NEW YORK – If you ask Evan Turner, this year's NBA Draft class isn't a good one. If you ask him whether the 76ers got a fortunate ping-pong ball bounce in 2010, when they drafted him second overall, he'd agree.

“They got lucky,” Turner said Tuesday, before the Sixers played Brooklyn at Barclays Center. “But it depends who you ask.”

The third-year forward out of Ohio State, Turner got taken at No. 2 in 2010 thanks to some “lucky” bounces of the ping-pong balls at the NBA Draft lottery. The Sixers rose from ninth to second overall and took Turner at that spot.

Turner is one of two Sixers, along with Spencer Hawes, who is on pace to play in all 82 games. He's averaging 13.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 35.5 minutes per game.

Knowing what can come of a favorable draft spot, you'd think Turner would support the notion that the Sixers should tank. Not so.

“I don't think you really play rookies in general,” he said.

Not like Turner, who played 23 minutes per game as a rookie, would know anything about that.

“If we lose, we lose, but that's not anybody's style to do that,” Turner said. “You want a good pick, but they say this draft isn't that strong. If you don't get the first pick, you're really out of the situation. I think the whole thing is finishing off strong. Tanking disrespects the game.”