9. Myles Turner, C, Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers lost their best player, Victor Oladipo, in January to an injury; this offseason they lost their second-best player in Bojan Bogdanovic and their best defender in Thaddeus Young to free agency. If the Pacers are to start the season on pace for the playoffs, it will fall on the shoulders of Myles Turner.
There are certainly reasons to be optimistic that Turner can handle an increased load, as he is a capable pick-and-pop big who brings legitimate rim protection. He took a major step forward last season and his defensive impact numbers were in the conversation for best in the league. The problem will be creation.
Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb, the team’s offseason additions, are capable handlers but not dynamic playmakers. Without Oladipo this team will struggle to generate high-percentage looks for its dependent players. That means to score, Turner will have to create his own shot, something he has done inconsistently to this point.
Making the roster for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup this summer may be a boost to his confidence and he was good enough to earn the starting spot. He was also borderline unplayable against Rudy Gobert and France. Turner will need to combine film and strength training in whatever way necessary to be prepared for matchups with the league’s largest centers.
If so, his raw numbers and status as the best player on the Pacers could pave the way for an All-Star berth. After Joel Embiid the field is open for centers to make the All-Star Game and Turner will push alongside Nikola Vucevic, Marc Gasol and Andre Drummond. The odds are one of those players will make it; a strong start for the Pacers and it could be Turner.