Ahead of Monday night's game against the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks big man Myles Turner seemingly threw some shade at his former team, implying they didn't elevate him, and that his time with the team was stagnant (h/t Jamal Collier of ESPN).
“He’s about to change my life, man,” Turner said of his new teammate (Giannis Antetokounmpo). “I spent 10 years of my life doing the exact same thing. “It’s obviously an adjustment, but it’s hoops at the end of the day.”
Turner talks about “doing the exact same thing” throughout his time in Indiana, which spanned the first 10 seasons of his NBA career, and that may not be totally fair to the team.
Yes, it is true that the Pacers didn't have anybody like Giannis Antetokounmpo during Turner's time with the team (though not many teams did, to be fair), but it's not like they didn't have talent around him.
The Texas native played with a plethora of key Pacers, such as Paul George, Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, Tyrese Haliburton, and Pascal Siakam. However, it seems that teaming up with Antetokounmpo is what's truly going to elevate his game. At least, according to him.
Myles Turner has built a habit of torching the Pacers since his exit
This was not the only time the 29-year-old apparently dissed Indiana since he left in free agency.
In August, Turner said he was happy to be a part of a "championship organization" in the Bucks. Additionally, that same month, he seemingly threw shade at Pacers legend Reggie Miller. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
He has called out the organization and the city multiple times since his departure. Whether it was exactly as it all seemed is its own debate, but it's clear that it rubbed Pacers fans the wrong way, given their decision to boo him during his tribute video on Monday.
Above all else, though, Turner's departure put the Pacers in a difficult spot, which some fans may say was the worst part of it all.
Without Turner, who left in free agency and gave them no value in return, Indiana is now in a position where it needs to find a replacement for him. And, while Turner was far from a perfect center, replacing his impact right away was always going to be a challenge for the Pacers.
So what did the team decide to do? They chose to run a center-by-committee and rely on multiple players to make up for his absence.
On paper, this makes sense. In reality, it's been close to a disaster.
Heading into the season, the Pacers had four centers: Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff, James Wiseman, and Tony Bradley. Jackson has been up and down but is seemingly turning things around, and Bradley has been solid. However, Huff has been a borderline non-factor, and the Pacers already cut ties with Wiseman. Again.
The Pacers will look to re-establish themselves as title contenders sooner rather than later, but for them to do that, they will need a better long-term solution at center. They may get there soon enough, but until then, a lot of the "blame" will fall onto Turner, who Pacers fans seemingly aren't the biggest fans of anymore.