This is the Myles Turner that we all have been waiting for

Myles Turner erupted for a career-high 40 points last night and showcased the skills we have been waiting to see.

I have been a huge fan of Myles Turner ever since the Indiana Pacers drafted him back in 2015. The Texas big-man showcased immense shot-blocking and perimeter shooting potential which was the perfect skill set for the modern big and the Pacers were finally getting theirs in Turner.

Through all the years, we have seen Myles develop into the center we thought he was going to be. Turner has led the league in blocks in nearly every season he has played and developed a smooth, reliable jump shot that now has the full green light for lift-off. Last night, however, was the type of game Pacers fans (or at least Myles stans like myself) have been dreaming about for a long time.

Myles Turner had his most dominant, confident game as a pro last night in the Pacers’ loss to the Washington Wizards. Turner scored 40 points which were a career-high on 15 of 22 shooting from the field which included five 3-point-field goals. He also added ten rebounds and three blocked shots on the night.

The stat line from Myles last night clearly jumps off the page, but I believe what’s more impressive is how he got 40 points last night. A large aspect of Myles’ offense game last night was the combination of his improved ball-handling and dribble-drive game. Myles had some really magnificent drives to the basket last night that displayed this improvement along with the physical improvements Myles made this summer.

I have been waiting for the opportunity for Myles to have more freedom to use these skills and with new head coach Rick Carlisle at the helm, it seems like we are going to get just that.

This version of Myles that we are seeing has been the version of Turner we have always dreamed of as Pacers’ fans. He has transformed from just a shot-blocking- floor spacer into now a multidimensional big that not only does the above-mentioned things at an extremely high level but can create opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Physically and mentally this seems like the best Myles Turner we have seen. The season may be young, but Myles Turner is poised to have a monster season for the Blue and Gold. Lucky for us Pacers fans, the best is yet to come.