Myles Turner always had great talent. Turner is 6’11 and 243 pounds, with a 7’4 wingspan that can jump and can shoot the ball. His only season at Texas he came off the bench to shoot 45.5% from the field and 27.4% from 3. The Pacers drafted him at no. 11 based on potential, not production, and he seemed far away from contributing at the NBA level. Turner was a 19 year old project with two veteran big men (Jordan Hill and Ian Mahinmi) ahead of him in the rotation at the time. The Pacers wanted to contend last season, not rebuild.
Turner’s unique skill set quickly helped him make a name for himself in the league last year. He forced his way into the starting lineup when he averaged 18 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game on 63% shooting off the bench. Frank Vogel was a defensive-minded coach that played two traditional big men down low. Starting Turner at power forward was the best of both worlds for the Pacers. His shooting ability opened up driving lanes to the basket for Paul George and allowed Vogel to keep two interior defenders in the game. Turner went from the end of the bench in the first two months of the season to averaging 28 minutes a game in the Pacers’ seven-game series against the Raptors in the playoffs.
Expectations in Indiana are sky-high going into his second season. The Pacers made a lot of moves this off-season that will free up space down low for Myles. But going into his second season he will have to space the floor out to the 3-point line and become the team’s primary rim protector, two of the most demanding roles in the league. It is unclear if he’s ready for that much responsibility. Turner took only 14 three pointers last season and playing quality interior defense is one of the toughest skills for a young player to master. The Pacers weren’t good defensively last season so Turner definitely has to help out more with that this coming season.
The clock is ticking in Indiana. Paul George has a player option on his contract at the end of the 2018 season and Turner is one of the upside players on the roster. His ceiling is a hybrid of Roy Hibbert in his prime and LaMarcus Aldridge. Miles combines his size and shot-blocking ability of a traditional center with the agility and scoring of a stretch power forward. That version of Turner makes the Pacers a contender in the East but that version could still be several years away, if Myles ever gets there. Turner has already developed faster than anyone imagined, but the Pacers need him to develop even faster this coming season.