Turner's Excellent Game 2 Leaves Questions for the Future
After struggling mightily in Game 1 of the Indiana Pacers playoff matchup with the Miami Heat, center Myles Turner was able to turn it around on both ends of the floor in Game 2 on Thursday.
Turner was the lone bright spot for Indiana in an otherwise disappointing 109-100 loss, as the big man racked up 17 points on 7-8 shooting, including a perfect 3-3 from long range. Turner was also lights out on the defensive end, blocking five shots and grabbing one steal while limiting Miami center Bam Adebayo to just seven points. This strong performance should bring a good boost to Turner’s confidence after he struggled against Adebayo in Game 1.
The inconsistency between Tuesday night’s stinker and Thursday night’s dominant performance was a perfect example of what is most frustrating about Turner: his inability to perform night in and night out. Since coming into the league, he has shown flashes of potential as a prototypical modern big man who stretches the floor on offense and locks down the rim on defense. However, there are other nights where Turner seems completely outmatched on both ends of the floor.
Another frustrating part of Turner’s tenure with the Pacers has been his failure to take that next step from a promising young talent to a franchise centerpiece. As I said earlier, Turner has shown the potential to be the perfect modern center, with flashes of excellence from beyond the arc and a consistent ability to alter shots at the rim. The Pacers showed their belief in Turner’s ability to fill that role when they signed him to a four-year deal worth $80 million in October 2018, and Pacers fans have been waiting for Turner to live up to that promise ever since.
Turner’s flaws are very evident, as he has consistently struggled to produce as a rebounder and also regularly has trouble guarding the best players at his position. Turner also occasionally struggles with chasing blocks instead of simply altering shots and protecting the rim. This issue contributes to his struggles with rebounding and also lands him in foul trouble from time to time.
A final point of frustration for Pacers fans has been the lack of cohesion between Turner and frontcourt mate Domantas Sabonis, who remains out indefinitely due to plantar fasciitis. On paper, the two seem to be an ideal pairing whose strengths and weaknesses go hand in hand. Sabonis more than makes up for Turner’s struggles as a rebounder and a post scorer, while Turner regularly covers for Sabonis’ deficiencies on the defensive end and also stretches the floor for Sabonis to go to work in the paint.
However, the fit hasn’t worked out as well as the Pacers might have hoped, in part due to Turner’s stunted development as a perimeter threat on offense. After improving his three-pointer percentage each of his first four seasons, Turner took a major step back from deep this season, shooting just 34.4% from three after knocking down 38.8% of his 3-pointers last season. Some of this decline can be explained by his increased volume of three-point attempts (4.0 3PA this season compared to 2.6 last year), but the Pacers need more consistency from Turner if he is to fulfill the expectations of his new role in the offense next to Sabonis in the frontcourt.
As Turner nears the end of his fifth season, the conversation should move past what potential he has shown. At this point, we know what kind of player the Pacers need Myles to be, and the only question should be whether he can fill that role for Indiana. If the Pacers are going to keep their season alive and come back from their 2-0 deficit against Miami, they will need much more of Game 2 Myles and much less of Game 1 Myles. Now is his chance to show Pacers fans which one they’re going to get.