Indiana Pacers: 5 players that could be All-Star candidates in 2021

Pacers defensive anchor Myles Turner could be a first-time All-Star

Myles Turner gets a bad rap sometimes both in and outside of Pacers circles.

This season, he’s taken a clear step back in his offensive game and has certainly struggled to welcome Domantas Sabonis as a member of the starting frontcourt while also ensuring he gets his own on the offensive end.

In a recent deep dive I did with the frontcourt, I concluded that that’s really OK. The team should not be looking to trade Turner at this point, though I understand they will (and should) listen to offers at the NBA Draft to make sure they’re vetting all opportunities to build.

Turner, though he took a step back on offense, was still a defensive anchor. He forced opponents to shoot 10.8 percent worse than their average on shots against him within six feet of the rim and likely dissuaded plenty of other shots from even being attempted in that range.

Turner is one of the most intelligent young defenders and rim protesters in the league and has the potential to gain Defensive Player of the Year honors at some point in his career.

If he can mesh more seamlessly with Sabonis next year and also elevate to that DPOY potential, there’s no denying that Turner should be an All-Star.