Opinion: The Pacers Must Acquire Another Top Talent

Throughout the history of the universe, there have proven few more inevitably spoken questions than that which pours from the pleading mouths of youths desperate for their parent’s response in the affirmative; “Can I please spend the night just one more night?”

How could any other question be levied when that kid just had the most fun 24 hours of their entire life? It’s completely understandable! Hours and hours of 8-foot rim driveway basketball, NBA live on PS2, watching the Pacers stomp the Knicks while slurping root beer floats, and staying up way past your bedtime embarrassingly gushing about how perfect your crush is- all with your best friend in the whole world- would make anyone yearn for an instant repetition of those ecstacies.

In my experience, despite all the whining and rolling around on the floor, the answer to my desperate pleading for an extension of the fun was rarely “yes.” However, those fantastic, uncommon occasions when the jubilance could indeed extend through another night were the commencement of one of two potentialities; the night would either succeed in outpacing the intense joy of the previous, or it never had the chance to live up to the precedent set by the one before.

Myles Turner‘s season to date has been a beautiful collection of genuine fun and absolute excellence. His typical defensive prowess has conjoined with an outburst of offensive execution. To date, he’s averaging 17.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. He’s given us hugely memorable performances. 37 points back in November in a win over the Pelicans, 34 points in a revenge game against Zubac, PG, and the Clippers on New Year’s Eve, and he’s even managed to maintain his excellent numbers in the absence of Tyrese Haliburton.

The Pacers asked for an extension of that fun and Myles Turner finally responded in the affirmative.

Now, the team and its fans must walk the remainder of this rebuilding journey on a path that is forked at this stage. Both paths are shrouded in the shadow and mystery of potential roster moves. To the left lies a path of complacent hope. It’s a path that hopes in the development of young talent and in the idea of a team being more than the sum of its parts. To the right lies a path of aggressive risk. It’s a path that hopes in the acquisition of premier talent being the way toward genuine sustained winning.

At this point, Pacers fans can be ecstatic because the joy that filled our hearts during the excellent first half of the season can continue once roster health is restored. But, the potential for the rest of the season to fall short in the joy department is high. The Pacers must make sure that the next night we all spend together isn’t one that can’t live up to the previous, but instead that it’s one that not only extends our joy, but increases it significantly.

In other words, it would be a waste of the Myles Turner extension if the Pacers don’t go trade for another big-time player before the trade deadline next week.

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