Myles Turner is the captain now

The 21-year-old is now the face of the Indiana Pacers and must take on the benefits and burdens that come with that responsibility.

Paul George is on his way out of town, eventually, leaving Myles Turner as the next in line as the face of the Indiana Pacers.

The good news is, Turner is as ready as one can be to seize the moment.

Alex Kennedy had Myles on his podcast the other day, and Myles sounded very comfortable with stepping into a bigger role.  This isn’t a surprise considering he said last season he wanted that and was already showing he could lead despite being a young player.

Assistant coach Popeye Jones reinforced the idea when he talked with Mark Montieth of Pacers.com on Wednesday.

"“He’s already trying to assume that role, and we like that in him,” assistant coach Popeye Jones said Wednesday, following the morning practice session in preparation for Summer League play in Orlando.“He’s looking forward to it. He’s been around every day with these guys.”"

Turner is saying and doing all the right things, but it is much harder to actually lead when the time comes. With Indiana giving all the signs of tanking, Turner must help the team avoid a culture of losing as the losses pile up.

Myles Turner must lead by example

In his first two seasons, he was given plenty of slack as a younger player and a secondary offensive option. That doesn’t appear to be the case anymore, and depending on who else is on the roster, he might be the best option Indiana has on both ends of the floor.

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The good news is his career is tracking well when compared to similar players in their first two seasons. He can improve on his rebounding and other aspects, but he is posting numbers similar to Chris Bosh and Shawn Kemp in his first few seasons.

But again, it will be harder without Paul George taking up most of the defense’s attention. Potentially, Indiana is losing Paul George, Jeff Teague and C.J. Miles this offseason. Not only will Indiana’s new face of the franchise have a new role, but he will also have a very different set of teammates.

This year is a trial by fire for Turner, and leading only by example isn’t good enough.

Can he demand the respect of the Indiana Pacers?

As a fellow player — and one younger than many of his teammates — he must get the best out of Lance Stephenson without letting Lance be the ‘bad‘ version of himself. The current version of Lance is more mature than the last time he was in Indiana, but old habits die hard. Stephenson isn’t the only player Turner must manage, but their relationship is likely one of the most important ones.

If he is going to do that, he must earn his teammates respect, and that isn’t easy for anyone, much less a younger player.

Does he have the authority that David West had to clear the court when the younger players are celebrating a win? West had time to develop that kind of reputation, and Turner is his third year in the NBA.

Maybe it won’t be his job, but he’ll need someone to provide the muscle if he barks out a command. This is why you need a few veterans on the team, particularly ones who understand that they aren’t in charge, but play a vital support role as the team grows.

Leadership isn’t just knowing what is the right thing to do. It also requires you to have the authority behind it to make those commands worth following. Turner did himself a favor in this department by earning a reputation as a hard worker, one that gets up shots even after an overtime game.

When Turner works like this, it is much easier to ask your teammates to follow.

I don’t doubt Turner can do all of this. He has shown us his maturity, basketball IQ, and quickly evolved over the past two years. But this is a bigger challenge for him, even if he is ready to take it on.

Next: Paul George wavering on his Los Angeles Lakers plans?

If Myles Turner wants to be the future of the Pacers franchise, the opportunity is there. If he can lead this team to success this season — in whatever form that is — then he will prove himself worthy of leading the Indiana Pacers back to relevancy.