Indiana Pacers: We Need To Talk About Myles Turner

After a solid rookie season, Myles Turner is having an incredible sophomore year. Unfortunately, the standout play of the other big men in his class has kept Turner under the radar.

Myles Turner entered college as a highly touted high school prospect. He was the No. 2 overall recruit in his class at Texas, according to ESPN. He struggled during his one year in college, but Larry Bird and the Indiana Pacers still took a chance on him with the 11th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Turner had a solid rookie season, as he started in 30 of his 60 games for the Pacers and made Second Team All-Rookie. He put up 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 22.8 minutes per game. He looked like a springy and athletic big with the potential to make jumpers at a decent clip. Turner also improved his running style, a big knock on him coming into the draft.

Myles Turner has already blown past his solid rookie season with a remarkable sophomore year. He has started in 45 games for the Pacers this season, missing only one. Turner has also improved his scoring average and rebounding numbers this year.

He is averaging 15.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and a remarkable 2.2 blocks per game this season. He might not have the eye-popping numbers of Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis or Nikola Jokic. However, Myles Turner has been a huge factor in the Pacers’ success this season.

Offense: Stretching The Floor

Although Turner has always had a solid jump shot, he did not shoot well from behind the arc in either college or his rookie year. Turner made 17 of 62 triples in college, a paltry 27.4 percent. His rookie season was not much better, as he shot only 14 triples and made just three of them.

Turner was able to convert on 41 percent of his midrange shots last season. He also took 54.3 percent of his looks last season from the midrange. Turner could space the floor decently well out to 20 feet, but could not extend that to three-point looks.

Compared to those previous years, this season has been a revelation from behind the arc for Turner. He has made 30 of his 73 triples, good for 41.1 percent. He has cut his midrange percentage down to 38.6 percent but has also shot 46.9 percent from there. His jump shot, already a weapon last year, has become lethal:

Nearly all of Turner’s triples are from above the break, which is quite valuable given his size. 87.7 percent of Turner’s threes are above the break, according to NBA.com. As on this play, that allows Turner to set screens at the top of the arc and pop out for a triple.

Although spacing to the corners is useful for a wing player (as C.J. Miles does on this play), it is less useful for a big man. That proficiency at shooting above the break also allows Turner to be a kick-out option as a trailer in transition:

Myles Turner has improved his scoring average to 15.8 points per game this season. He has also increased his True Shooting Percentage dramatically, from 53.1 percent last year to 61.5 percent this season.

Although some of that is due to an increased ability to get into the paint and score, his improved jumper from both midrange and deep is a huge factor in his offensive improvement.

Defense: Shot Blocker Extraordinaire

Myles Turner improved from a solid shot-blocker last year to one of the NBA’s best this season. Turner is third in the NBA in blocks per game with 2.24 per contest. He also leads the league in block percentage per Basketball-Reference. His speed is almost as important as his great leaping ability in how he blocks shots, as he shows by keeping pace with John Wall on this spike:

Turner’s shot-blocking ability makes him a force to be reckoned with near the rim. Opponents shoot just 51.4 percent against Turner within six feet of the basket per NBA.com — 8.9 percent worse than their average.

Turner has a Defensive Rating of 104.1 on the year, per NBA.com. That is good for second-best on the Pacers behind (oddly enough) Aaron Brooks at 103.0 (and excluding the 93.7 in 14 minutes from Rakeem Christmas). That drops to 108.7 with Turner off the floor — the worst such number on the Pacers.

Turner sports a Net Rating of +3.9 overall, better than even Paul George and tops on the Pacers. His defensive impact as a shot-blocker and offensive impact as a floor spacer is a huge boon to a Pacers team fighting for playoff position.

Looking Forward: Another Superstar?

Myles Turner might not be playing as well as some of the other standout big men from his draft class, but that does not mean that his superstar potential should be ignored. Turner is still just 20 years old and has already made a dramatic jump from his rookie season.

More from Indiana Pacers

The Pacers are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. Although rumors circulated about a potential Paul George trade, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported in December that the Pacers have no interest in moving on from George.

The Pacers fell down the standings pretty quickly after being the No. 1 overall seed in the 2013-14 season. Clamorings for trading Paul George centered mostly around how thin the roster around him was in terms of star talent.

Myles Turner seems to be a potential solution to that problem. If he can continue to improve at the rate he has shown between his first two seasons, he may quickly become a second superstar for the Pacers.

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Myles Turner may never get the recognition he deserves due to the strength of the big men who entered the league with him in 2015. However, he certainly deserves more recognition than he has received thus far this season. The Pacers might be a playoff threat as early as this season, but the growth of Myles Turner means that they will be even more of a threat in the years to come.

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