Indiana Pacers: 3 reasons to not trade Myles Turner this offseason

Myles Turner is a legitimate defensive force

Without a doubt, if you ask someone who watches the Pacers why they shouldn’t trade Turner, one of the top items is always going to be the superb defense he brings to the table.

Turner has Defensive Player of the Year potential and his ceiling is similar to that of two-time DPOY winner Rudy Gobert on that end of the floor. He’s an extremely aware and tactile player, defending the rim better than most centers do.

On shots within 6 feet of the rim, Turner forces opponents to shoot over 11 percent worse than they do normally. His impact on offenses goes far beyond shots that he directly impacts, though, as there are a number of shots that opposing players dare not even attempt with Turner manning the painted area.

When Turner is on the floor, the Pacers post a defensive rating of 107.86, when he’s off that dips to 109.52. The Pacers team defensive rating is 108.3, good enough for seventh in the NBA.

One of the marks for the Pacers as they are constructed is their defense. The rim protection Turner provides is the very anchoring of that team identity, a failsafe that the other four players on the floor can use when they get burnt off the perimeter.

Though defense boils down to more than just one player, Turner is one of the key cogs within the Pacers very strong defense, and removing him from their roster would be like pulling from the bottom row of the Jenga pile. It might be fine, but it leaves the tower on much shakier ground than it would be if you pulled from the top.