Myles Turner returns to face the Pacers Monday night
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — Years from now, I have no doubt in my mind that Myles Turner will be celebrated and welcomed back to Indiana. It’s happened with other players, and it will happen again. Turner spent a decade in Indy, is the all-time franchise leader in blocks, and clearly did a lot for the city and franchise. It will take some time, but the relationship will be mended down the road. For now, however? He’s the enemy. He’s a rival. And for his return on Monday night, you can expect a chorus of boos while the bad blood continues to flow.
There are times when multiple things can be true at once. For example: Myles Turner was a big reason the Pacers made the NBA Finals, and was also a big reason why they lost. Another example: The Pacers wanted him back, but also didn’t want to overpay and probably didn’t even realize they were bidding against anyone else. Example number three: Myles Turner will make the Bucks a better team, but it will come at a ridiculous cost for their franchise moving forward. Turner has now found himself in the middle of multiple truths with his own words. He clarified some of his previous comments at Monday morning’s shoot-around: (video by Tony East)
While things sound a lot better after some clarification, the bulk of the fan base won’t forget many of the things he has said since leaving the Pacers. From day one, it sure seemed like the Pacers front office wanted Myles Turner to stay a Pacer. Not giving him the money he wanted doesn’t mean they changed their minds on him or went a different direction. We may never know the full details of the situation, but we’ve also been led to believe Turner never gave the Pacers a chance to match or up their offer that he ended up getting in Milwaukee.
As if the Bucks/Pacers rivalry wasn’t already juicy enough, this has added a whole new level to the war. Pacer fans have been posting box scores, while Milwaukee fans have responded with the standings and net rankings. Monday night will see a 4-2 Bucks team take on the Pacers JV (or even “C”) team because of all the injuries. It will still be a fun night with plenty of drama.
There are certain details fans will choose to ignore in the present, but will hopefully be able to reflect on in the long run. Myles Turner wasn’t the double-double machine that a lot of fans wanted. He’s far from a perfect player. He’s also a big reason the team found success, and he did all of it while being involved in trade rumors/Ayton offer sheets and constant questions about the Turbonis pairing for many years. It was ultimately a very successful decade together. He’s now wearing different laundry within the same division, and could’ve chosen his words more carefully over the last few months.
After tonight, hopefully both sides can move on more-so than they’ve already done. And for one evening at the Fieldhouse, you can get the popcorn ready.
