Indiana Pacers: 5 goals for Myles Turner in 2017-18

2. Lead the league in blocked shots

Myles Turner was one of the top shot-blockers in the NBA last season — he finished third in blocks per game (2.1), and second in total blocked shots (173).

Turner’s minutes played will probably increase a bit in 2017-18, so if he can remain healthy he has a legitimate chance to lead the league in blocked shots.

Overtaking Utah’s Rudy Gobert in this category will be a challenge (214 blocks, 2.6 BPG in 2016-17), but Myles Turner is one of only a few players in the NBA with the potential to unseat Gobert as the blocked shot king.

In terms of technique, Turner has excellent timing and he’s athletic enough to get himself in good position to block shots. For Turner to lead the NBA in blocks, he has to play virtually all 82 regular season games and log at least 35 minutes per game.

The opportunity will be there, as Turner will play major minutes for the Pacers and he’ll be the team’s key help defender/shot-blocker. However, the competition will be fierce (Gobert, Anthony Davis and Hassan Whiteside are among the chief contenders).

For a player looking to take another step toward stardom like Myles Turner, leading the NBA in blocked shots would serve to elevate his individual stature. It’s an arduous task, but Turner is capable of meeting this goal.