Myles Turner 2.0: More physical, less soft, and better than ever

Myles Turner is playing a more physical brand of basketball and the Indiana Pacers are getting another peek at his potential.

“One of my teammates was calling me soft, I don’t play that shit,” Myles Turner said after the Indiana Pacers win over the Los Angeles Lakers. “Then, two, it’s just something I know I have to be able to do. I can’t settle for jumpers and shit.”

Myles, you’ve changed.

18 games after one of Turner’s teammates — we don’t know which — questioned his toughness, it’s clear what was said lit a fire under Turner. A modest increase to 13.4 points a game and 7.6 rebounds a game may not seem like much, but the way he is playing now is making the Pacers a better team.

Physicality is a state of mind, and Turner is proving it by going from one of Indiana’s worst rebounders to its best. The team went from ranking 21st in rebounding percentage to 13th. The Pacers are just above breaking even as far as the rebounding battle goes now, but that’s flipped from before Turner was called out.

The keywords in Turner’s quote were “be able to do.” Turner showed here and there that he was physically capable, but it’s only been the last 19 games that it’s actually happened consistently. That’s nearly a quarter of the season. It wouldn’t feel so sudden had the All-Star break broke up the series of games, but the trend has been going on for a while now.

Even if you just break up his stats from before and after the All-Star break, the trends that were emerging over the last few weeks hold. Before All-Star, Turner got nearly a third of his points from mid-range and another third from in the paint. After All-Star, those mid-range points dropped to only 20.7% of his points, and now 40.3% of his points are coming in the paint.

He’s taking slightly fewer field goal attempts a game, but getting more out of those attempts. Part of that is from getting dirty, getting in the paint and getting relatively easier buckets. That begets more confidence; and more points.

But it isn’t as if he devolved into an older version of an NBA big man, either. He is now getting more points from beyond the 3-point line. He is now making 41.9 percent of those shots compared to a less unicorn-y 36.3 percent before.

This is why coach Nate McMillan never took him out of the starting lineup. This is why Kevin Pritchard didn’t trade him. This is why patience is a virtue. Turner had this in him all along, it was just a question about how to unlock it. At 21 years old, Turner’s game is still evolving, and will continue to do so.

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For most of his NBA career, the Pacers could live with Turner relying on pick and pop plays for points. His shooting ability covered up the fact he often was too far away from the basket to make the most of his 7-foot wingspan. He is one of the NBA’s best shot blockers and his rim defense was above average, but there was always more to Myles’ game.

Maybe that was softness, or maybe it was just what Turner was comfortable with as a player. But whatever teammate called him out figured out how to push Turner beyond those limits. It forced Myles to evolve and grow as a player.

This is merely another step on Turner’s journey as an NBA player. A fourth of the season is a large enough sample size to believe in the change. If this is Myles Turner 2.0, then imagine what the next evolution of Turner’s game will be.

This was supposed to be his team before Victor Oladipo came and took over. Perhaps now Turner will force Oladipo to share the spotlight as the faces of the franchise. With the defense now in the top 10 since the new year, Turner established himself as the de facto captain of the defense, if nothing else.

Next: No Chemistry: Why last season's Indiana Pacers underachieved

With playoff position on the line every night and an Eastern Conference that is as wide-open as it’s been in the LeBron James era, Turner’s evolution couldn’t be more timely for the Indiana Pacers.