From the court to the community: Myles Turner embodies Pacers basketball
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — This is a Myles Turner appreciation column. The longest tenured current Pacer has been through a lot in his nine-year career with Indiana. Through all of the ups and downs, he has consistently remained a good teammate and good role model for the community. He also continues to produce.
And now, Turner is reaping the benefits of sticking things out in the city that drafted him.
Years ago, Turner said one of his goals was to chase down Pacer legend Jermaine O’Neal for the franchise blocks record. With all of the trade rumors in previous years, we wondered if #33 would be here long enough to reach it. His contract extension last January made it possible. Before Friday’s game against the Lakers, Turner was recognized for accomplishing his goal.
Turner’s value stretches far beyond his rim protection. For a team that now features Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, the Pacers’ center is often overlooked on the offensive end. Turner’s style of play blends in perfectly with this offense, and he has received very high praise from those two aforementioned All-Stars. Since the trade of Domantas Sabonis, Turner has averaged 17.5 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting around 53% from the field in the last few seasons.
One of the main criticisms of Turner over the years has been the occasional games where he has disappeared in the box score. Fans are always quick to point out those low point/rebound total efforts, while conveniently ignoring his better games. And this season, those low point totals have been few and far between. Turner has now played in 71 games this season, and has only scored under double-figures in five of them. In fact, he has had exactly one single-digit scoring performance in every month of this season. Some of those performances (Phoenix, for example), were simply match-up based and had very little to do with how Turner was playing.
My twitter mentions are often filled with comments claiming Turner is overpaid. I couldn’t disagree more. This season, Turner is 71st in the NBA in annual salary, and there will probably be 80+ players who are paid more than him next season. For what he brings to the table, it’s a solid (and fair) value.
Last March, Alex Kennedy of BasketballNews.com did a breakdown on the Turner and Haliburton pairing. The numbers showed just how effective the pick-and-roll game has been for this duo, and those numbers have remained steady through this season. Obi Toppin recently said: “With both of them, I think they’re the best pick-and-roll duo in the league.” Earlier this year, FadeawayWorld.net broke down the numbers and ranked Haliburton/Turner number one, saying: “Together, Haliburton and Turner form a PnR duo that not only puts up impressive individual numbers but also demonstrates a cohesive understanding of each other’s strengths. Haliburton’s playmaking ability and Turner’s finishing skills create a challenging scenario for opposing defenses, making the Pacers a formidable offensive threat.”
While Turner may be underappreciated at times on the court, he has always been appreciated for his time in this community. From the “Turner’s Block” fan section, giving life to the Fieldhouse, to Turner’s charity work which gives life in many other ways, it’s been a true joy to see what he has brought to Indianapolis. Turner runs a charitable initiative called W.A.R.M. (We All Really Matter), which distributes food, personal items and blankets to those in need in Indianapolis during the winter months. Here’s Tony East chatting with Turner about that charity and more:
It’s been refreshing this season to not have to worry about trade rumors for the Pacers center. He’s been healthy. He works hard each and every day. And he has been a huge contributor to one of the better offensive units the game has ever seen. The Pacers clinched a winning season on Friday for the first time since 2019-2020, and Turner’s availability and ability have been a big factor. Watching Turner perform and hype up the city over All-Star Weekend was amazing to watch, and another tip of the cap to what he’s meant to the Pacers. It’s time to give Turner the credit he deserves, if you haven’t already done so.
If you want to take a deep dive on each and every one of Turner’s franchise-leading blocks, look no further. Derek from iPacers.com has you covered: https://ipacers.com/2023/12/29/the-myles-high-club-every-player-myles-turner-has-blocked/.
