The Indiana Pacers have plenty of players who will be important to their success in the conference finals, but perhaps none of them will be as important as big man Myles Turner.
Turner is objectively not the best player on the team, as that distinction is reserved for Tyrese Haliburton or maybe even Pascal Siakam. Even so, he is no less important to the Pacers' success, and that has been confirmed during their current playoff run. Turner came up big in Indiana's series against the Milwaukee Bucks, and he was even more important in the second round against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers ended the regular season as the No. 1 seed in the East, and they did not earn that spot by accident. They finished the season as the best offensive team in the league and were statistically a top-10 defensive team as well. What made them a matchup nightmare for many teams was their double-big lineup with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Allen, who is a tremendous two-way center, was severely outplayed by Turner on both sides of the ball. Given that Allen is one of Cleveland's most important players (even more so in the series, given the team's injuries), this was a crucial matchup that the Pacers needed to win. Thanks to Turner, they did exactly that.
The Pacers are still awaiting to see which team will meet them in the conference finals as the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics are still going at it. However, regardless of which team prevails, the story is the same for the Pacers--if Turner can dominate on both sides of the ball like he has done so far this postseason, they will be in a fantastic spot to advance to their first NBA Finals since 2000.
Myles Turner must come up big in the conference finals
Offensively, Turner provides a ton of value to the Pacers due to his ability to stretch the floor and score when needed. Against either the Knicks or Celtics in the conference finals, the Pacers need this production out of their long-time big man, but they also need him to bring his A-game on defense as well.
The Knicks and Celtics both have dominant big men who can make life difficult for the opposition in Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis, respectively. In Porzingis' case, he is currently dealing with an illness that has made him a bit of a negative in the playoffs, but if he can return to form, the Celtics will become a significantly more dangerous team. As for Towns, he is a phenomenal big man who provides a whole new dynamic to New York's offense. Furthermore, both teams are great at getting to the paint, so Turner's rim protection will be crucial.
It is no secret that Turner is important to Indiana's success, but in the conference finals, he may be the deciding factor in the team's future. The Texas native is valuable to the team on both sides of the ball, and they will need to be at their best against the Knicks or Celtics if they want to represent the East in June.