INDIANA PACERS: CINDERELLA STORY, OR DID YOU CALL IT?
When the Indiana Pacers traded Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, people finally believed that the Pacers were
looking to do a long-term rebuild with the addition of two young players.
I did not.
I knew from the start, a squad that had acquired a solid point guard in Darren Collison and a strong scoring forward in Thaddeus Young were looking to compete in their first year, and they definitely have. While Oladipo gets all of this teams coverage, headlined by his first All-Star team selection this year, and his definite lock for MIP (Most Improved Player). I think more attention needs to paid to this team’s true second option, Myles Turner.
MYLES TURNER: The Biggest-Small-Ball-Fella
Myles Turner was drafted out of the University of Texas with the 11th Pick of the 2015 NBA Draft. That’s the same draft which produced several of the NBA’s most versatile big men, like Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis. However, his skill-set has always taken a backseat to a superstar talent, unlike KP6 or KAT. His first two years in the league were shared on the same court as Paul George. Now, he’s behind Victor Oladipo. Despite being behind superstars, he’s always managed
to average at least 10 points and 6 rebounds in almost every season.
Myles Turner provides a great scoring option in the paint, especially considering how old Al Jefferson is now, and how severely he’s underperformed in the last few seasons. Now, Turner has turned into an efficient scoring option and aggressive paint-protector. Turner’s development is a huge part of the Pacers’ push for contention.
HOW DOES HE GET IT DONE
Myles Turner is not as strong as the average center in the league, but he’s a big guy. At 6’11” inches, he’s definitely tall. As a lanky athlete, people assumed scoring in the paint wouldn’t be his specialty and saw him more as a bouncing, alley-oop catching, JaVale McGee-esque center, rather than the sophisticated scorer he is now. His real claim to fame is his jump shot. Despite having Bojan Bogdanovic as their pure shooter, Myles Turner has dabbled in long-distance shooting and developing his elbow jumper. He makes the 3-ball a
t a 36.6% clip, which is respectable for someone of his size and position.
His shooting abilities are unique, and frankly it confuses me how he manages to hit the bottom of the net so cleanly everytime he makes a shot. Seriously, watching Myles Turner film is crazy, he makes every shot SO perfectly. His aggression has improved with regards to all areas of his game, except for his mediocre rebounding numbers for someone who is so tall and athletic. With a developed jump-shot and an aggressive shot-blocking ability, it’s no doubt he’s a powerhouse on the Pacers.
Myles Turner is a shot-blocking, athletic, and bucket getting center, and he’s most definitely SLEPT ON.
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