Myles Turner talked with Basketball Insiders earlier this month to talk about his roller-coaster rookie season.
Remember when people were worried about the way Myles Turner ran, his awkward gait, and if he was really ready for the NBA?
Myles Turner does, and he’s enjoying proving those people wrong.
Turner talked with Basketball Insiders about his rookie year, what he’s learned, and making the playoffs.
"BI: Before the draft, people talked about you having a lot of potential, but you’ve made a day-one impact with Indiana. At that time, there were also some people who doubted you and questioned your NBA readiness and even your running style. How does it feel to play this well after hearing all of that?Turner: “Man, I’ll tell you I absolutely love it – just coming out here and proving people wrong. That’s one of my favorite parts about this game, going out there and doing things people said you can’t do. The fact that I’ve had an impact and just seeing the way people have kind of turned their head toward me is definitely something I’ve taken some notice of. Not too much, but I do pay attention though. You are going to have on and off nights and people are going to say what they want about you. But that is one thing that I definitely took a lot of pride in this year, proving a lot of doubters wrong from the draft [process].”"
That’s no surprise, as just about everyone on the planet loves providing critics wrongs, but a surprising answer was who Turner said he was was learning from on the team, as he highlighted Jordan Hill and his post game.
"BI: Now that you’re playing against NBA players, it’s even easier to take bits and pieces of other players’ skill set and add them to your own arsenal. Which players, on or off your team, have you learned from?Turner: “I mean, some of the guys on my team like Jordan Hill. I think he’s deadly in the post. Man, he’s a heck of a player down there – he bodies everyone at practice, and just seeing what he does in the game [has helped me]. I love his footwork and it’s almost very nonchalant how he plays, but that’s what might throw you off and it’s just funny to me; I’ve learned a lot of stuff from Jordan Hill this year. Ian Mahinmi is another guy I take some stuff from. It’s funny you mention Luis Scola because I love watching him play because he gets the job done and just hurts you in so many different areas. I watched some of the stuff that he did when he played against us. Al Jefferson too. When we played Charlotte, I just kind of keyed in on some of the stuff that he was doing.”"
You can read the full interview at Basketball Insiders, and it is worth it to hear who Turner has found to be his hardest matchups on the floor, and what he’s learned from Frank Vogel this season.
Next: Pacers Kick Off First-Round Playoff Series in Toronto on Saturday
Turner has had his ups and downs this season, but considering he missed about a month with a broken thumb, things are on track for the 20-year-old rookie.