Myles Turner Vs Kristaps Porzingis: Chapter One of a Rivalry

Kristaps Porzingis was grabbing headlines early in the season, but as Myles Turner has come into his own he’s become part of the conversation about this season’s best rookies.

Last night in Indiana, we got to see the two go head-to-head for the first time in their NBA careers and both impressed on the offensive side of the ball.

Myles Turner showed off his range and shooting repertoire as he went 10 of 20 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free throw line for 24 points, second only to Paul George’s 25. Turner also had 6 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 turnovers in the game.

Early on Myles struggled to score as he missed an alley-oop opportunity and Porzingis’ defense kept anything from coming easy for Turner. It wasn’t until his third shot when Indiana caught Kristaps playing help defense that Myles knocked down an open 18-footer. But in the first half Turner was 1 of 4 against Porzingis as the Latvian rarely gave the Texan room to work.

Against the other Knicks, however, Myles was much more successful. Turner dominated Carmelo Anthony in the post several times as the 9-time All-Star was unable to deal with the quickness of Myles’ turnaround jump shot or the size advantage Turner held. Turner also was successful cutting along the baseline to receive passes from his teammates for easy points. It didn’t matter if anyone other than Porzingis guarded him either. Kristaps only guarded Turner for two shots in the second half and Myles missed both. In the game, Turner was 0 of 5 against Porzingis and 10 of 15 against anyone else or when there was no defense.

Turner and the Pacers got the win, but in the head-to-head matchup, Porzingis held the advantage.

Kristaps Porzingis went 7 of 14 from the field and knocked down 2 of his 7 3-pointers while going 6 of 8 from the line for 22 points. Porzingis added 2 rebounds, 2 steals, a block, a beautiful assist and had 2 turnovers.

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Porzingis got his first bucket on a breakaway where Turner was playing help defense, then knocked down a 3-pointer when Turner got caught running behind a screen, forcing Paul George to try to run out to cover Kristaps. The Latvian missed his third shot when Myles was his primary defender, but again Turner was caught behind a screen and George was forced to try to save the day again. He missed his fourth attempt against Turner, but it was really Ian Mahinmi that did the work. Kristaps had faked Myles out at the 3-point line and though he partially recovered, it was the Frenchman who protected the rim. Porzingis made his 5th attempt against the Indiana rookie when he was too eager to play help defense again, allowing the New York rookie to knock down an open shot. He’d bank his sixth attempt again Turner, but Myles was playing tighter defense on him on that possession. On the night, he was 4 of 6 versus Turner, 3 of 8 versus the other Pacers.

If we’re doing boxing scoring here for the Turner versus Porzingis fight, Kristaps wins Round 1 10-9 on all three judges cards. Porzingis simply played better defense while both made 50% of their shots on the offensive end. Turner was out of postion several times defensively and more often than not, Kristaps made Turner pay. Porzingis proved to be a year older, a year wiser than Turner — it  helps when you play professionally in Europe from 2012-2015 — and his game is more polished at the moment, but that’s understandable considering Turner missed almost two months with a fractured thumb. Turner’s 3-pointer is still a novelty whereas Porzingis’ is a threat. I believe as time wears on Turner will catch up with Porzingis, but for now, it is clear that Kristaps holds an edge over Myles.

Myles Turner vs Kristaps Porzingis | PointAfter

It is also clear, however, that both are offensive weapons and a lot of fun to watch. Both players are still settling into the NBA and neither is anywhere near their ceiling. This was merely the first round of what will hopefully be a years-long match between the two. It says a lot of both players that even as rookies, their team are already looking at them as playmakers in the game’s final minutes.

Before the season, the two had already struck up a friendship of sorts as they worked out together before the 2015 draft. They spoke for a moment after the game and in an interview, it was clear Turner already has plenty of respect for his counterpart. I imagine the feeling is mutual.

The Indiana Pacers-New York Knicks rivalry has died down in recent years, but if the two rookies help lead their team to playoff runs, we might see the intensity renew. The Knicks are a team Pacers fans love to hate, but Kristaps, for the moment, should be a player they hate to love. Both players have shown us glimpses of their personalities and appear comfortable in front of the camera, but also not seeking too much attention either. The two are literally worlds apart when it comes to how they got to the NBA, but on the court, they have plenty of similarities.

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The best is yet to come with these two, and I personally can’t wait to see them play against each other again.