Option No. 3 without Oladipo: Myles Turner
The only returning Indiana Pacer chosen for this list, everyone in Indiana is hoping Myles Turner can take yet another leap in his game by becoming an offensive threat, especially while Victor Oladipo is out.
Turner established himself as a premier interior defender by leading the NBA in blocks per game (2.7) and total blocks (199), but his offensive game has yet to shine. His 38.8 percent from 3 has made him a capable stretch 5, but his 48.7 percent field-goal percentage ranked 26th among qualified centers.
If he is going to be a factor in this offense, Turner must find a way to put in more shots at a better percentage around the rim.
Turner may have the highest upside of all the young talent looking to take the next step with Oladipo out, but he also has the most to prove. The defense is there and he will continue to patrol the paint, but his offensive game has to improve and expand if the Pacers want to take it to the next level.
Turner, a lottery pick in 2015, signed a big contract extension at the beginning of last season, and needs to continue to prove he deserved it by developing his all-around offense.
The truth is that Indiana doesn’t have a real answer to fill-in in Oladipo’s absence, but one of (if not, all) of the aforementioned players will need to do all they can to carry the offense until Oladipo returns.