8 points, 9 seconds
Fansided

The Masked Myles Turner era is coming to an end. Here’s what to expect

By Luke Parrish

MIAMI, FL - FEBRUARY 02: Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers stretches before the game against the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena on February 2, 2019 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - FEBRUARY 02: Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers stretches before the game against the Miami Heat during the first half at American Airlines Arena on February 2, 2019 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Indiana Pacers announced on Wednesday that Myles Turner will remove his mask. Now, the big man is returning to ‘Ponytail Myles’ after the all-star break.

Myles Turner has had an up-and-down season for the Indiana Pacers. He got off to a slow start to the year but a series of good fortunate and good play has led to a huge uptick in production. Myles’ 2018-19 season can be broken down into a few phases. The biggest factor in his season? The attire.

Original Myles

Turner began the season with nothing crazy going on with regard to his appearance. He was rocking the usual attire, along with his sidekick in Victor Oladipo. With the two in the lineup together, Myles struggled from the field. He averaged 11 points on .475/.158/.789 shooting splits. The deep balls simply were not falling for the big man, and the offensive production was not where we all expected it to be before the season began.

Turner’s lack of rebounding has always been a point of discussion for some, and this stretch did him no favors. He grabbed just 4.9 boards per game at the start of the season. Then, Victor Oladipo went down for the first time with knee soreness and Myles was forced to produce.

Myles without Vic

Victor Oladipo missed essentially 12 games with his first injury. He played just four minutes against the Atlanta Hawks on November 17th, and that as when Myles took over.

In that span, Myles Turner took over as a leader for Indiana. His numbers improved across the board. He scored 13.4 points per game on .517/.381/.600 shooting splits. Most notably, his three-point shot was falling with much more consistency. He also averaged 3.3 blocks and 9.1 rebounds in that timeframe. Myles played in 11 games during this time, missing the San Antonio game on November 23rd.

With no Vic, Myles Turner took it upon himself to lead the Indiana Pacers on both ends of the floor. Soon after his game changed, his appearance did, too.

Ponytail Myles

On December 10, 2018, Myles Turner changed for the better. He debuted his new ponytail and ascended his game to another level. He played 11 games with a ponytail prior to breaking his nose against the Atlanta Hawks. This is when Myles really took off.

In the first 11 games with the ponytail, he dominated. He put up 16.7 points per game, this time on .550/.533/.667 shooting splits, which was another huge improvement. He also attempted 12.7 shots per game, compared to the 9.7 that he attempted prior to the ponytail.

The more aggressive Myles led the Pacers to a 9-2 record during that stretch. He hauled in 9.0 rebounds with 3.2 blocks per game, excellent numbers for any big, nonetheless one that spaces the floor. After breaking his nose against Atlanta, Turner donned a face mask. We were all ill-prepared.

Masked Myles

Turner rocked the face mask for the first time on January 4th, 2019. He then missed four straight games with a banged up shoulder but started the following 17 games up until the all-star break. His numbers dropped slightly with the mask, but Turner was still very effective.

Myles posted 14.4 points and 6.4 rebounds to end the first half of the season. His shooting splits fell minimally, finishing at .514/.446/.750, but he also attempted fewer shots.

The broken nose most likely made Turner a little timid, and rightfully so. He wasn’t used to people hitting his face, nor was he used to having plastic hanging off his body as he played basketball. But he still contributed a lot for the Indiana Pacers on both ends of the floor.

For those keeping score (or judging, right? That’s what they do in fashion shows), Myles still has the ponytail. His total ponytail numbers this season currently sit at 15.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks. He is knocking down his shots, and is taking more of them in the process. Combine that with some elite defense and effective rebounding, and it is clear what ponytail Myles is.

dark. Next. How many more games will the Pacers win this year?

Ponytail Myles is the best Myles, and he will return to just that after the break. The second half of the season looks bright for the young center.

Home/Pacers News