Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner had a phenomenal season on the defensive end.
Prior to the 2020-21 NBA season, Myles Turner was a common trade candidate for the Indiana Pacers. His defensive dominance would have greatly helped a lot of teams across the league last season and the Pacers themselves witnessed just how valuable he was.
When Myles was on the floor, Indiana at least had some help defensively. When he was gone, the Pacers could not stop anyone or anything inside and that left them with massive problems. Indiana was a completely different team with Turner out of the lineup but injuries once again were an issue for the big man.
Turner played in just 47 games last season, missing 22 of the team’s final 23 games. His absence is nothing new as Turner has missed plenty of time since arriving in Indiana but at some point, he needs to show that he can be available when the team needs him.
His sixth season with the Pacers was arguably his best. His offensive impact hovered around the same level that he’s been at for a few years but Turner took a massive leap defensively. Missed time was the only thing keeping Turner out of the All-Defensive Team and the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.
Overall, how was Myles Turner’s season with the disappointing Pacers?
Myles Turner was crucial for the Indiana Pacers last season
Despite only playing in 47 games for a non-playoff team last season, it was clear that Myles Turner was important to this team. The two-big lineup may not be working but with Turner on the roster, the Pacers are a much better team defensively. Obviously, Turner is an incredible rim protector but his athleticism to defend the perimeter is a serious weapon.
Turner turned in a career year defensively. His 3.4 blocks per game led the league and saved the Pacers on many occasions. He also added a career-high 0.9 steals per game while altering countless more shots in the paint. As soon as he hit the injury list, Indiana’s defense fell even further off a cliff.
The Pacers recorded their worst defensive rating in franchise history at a whopping 112.4 while also allowing the most points in the franchise’s NBA history. The team’s defensive rating was 110.4 when Turner was on the floor but 115.0 when he was off.
Turner left the lineup after the April 6 loss to the Bulls and played in just one more game last season, a loss to the Hawks on April 18.
Prior to that point, the Pacers allowed 113.2 points per game. Once Turner was shut down, the Pacers allowed 120 points per game which would have been the most in the NBA last season by a pretty sizeable margin.
It is evident that Turner’s offense may never hit the ceiling we had hoped for but he was a bit more involved on that end last season. He attacked the rim after setting up defenders with his willingness to shoot from deep. At 4.4 attempts per game, Myles set a new bar on three-point shots under Bjorkgren.
How would you grade Myles Turner’s season with the Indiana Pacers?
Just like everyone else we have graded so far, we have to factor in injuries and the inability to contribute to final grades. Turner was excellent when he was on the floor but missing the back half of the season and lending a hand to Indiana’s late-season struggles has to be part of the evaluation.
Defensively, Turner was on pace to at least be in the mix for Defensive Player of the Year and the NBA did announce that he was indeed the league’s leader in blocks because his lead was large enough despite not meeting the qualification of games played.
There was tremendous growth in Myles’ ability to defend beyond the paint and for a team that lacked any sort of perimeter defending, having a big man that could help in that regard was huge. Turner was definitely a reliable weapon when he was out there but he should also be given credit for his leadership.
Several Pacers mentioned his absence as a blow to the team’s identity and leadership down the stretch. His love of the game and the city of Indianapolis does not come around often.
Turner may not be an elite offensive player and injuries will always be a factor in his career. If he can mask those concerns with his star-level play defensively, the Pacers will always have a need for him.
Final grade: B-
The lack of clear progress as a shooter hurts his case a little bit. He was expected to take a leap with Nate Bjorgren at the helm like the rest of his teammates but that just was not the case. His shots did see a slight increase, though. Maybe one more year in the system will do the trick but I’m not going to set the bar for that expectation again.