Pacers Report Cards: Grading every Pacers player at season's end
By Mueez Azfar
Myles Turner
Stats: 77 Games, 27 MPG, 17.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.9 BPG, 1.4 TOV, 3 FPG 52.4/35.8/77.3 Splits on 62.6% TS
2022-23 Stats: 62 Games, 29.4 MPG, 18 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.6 SPG, 2.3 BPG, 1.7 TOV, 3.5 FPG 54.8/37.3/78.3 Splits on 65.1% TS
After a career year in 2023 and a new extension signed, effectively taking him out of trade talks, Myles Turner was expected to build on his momentum and have an even more productive season. Indeed, the 2024 Trade Deadline was seemingly the first one in years without continuous Myles Turner rumors, as the only speculations on Turner's future came from delusional Lakers fans, as they usually did for every player.
Now, did Turner build on that success and have a better season? In a sense, no, but in another, yes. If you look at his counting stats and efficiency, they all either stayed the same or went down slightly, and he didn't have as many defining performances as he did in 2023.
However, Turner was exactly what Indiana needed at the center position, which is a steady hand on defense and a third go-to-guy on offense, equally adept at taking it to the rim and stepping out for the long-range jumper, although his aggressiveness leaves a lot to be desired at times.
In the first half of the season, Turner was essentially the only notable part of Indiana's defense, along with Aaron Nesmith, as his 1.8 blocks by All-Star Break were the lowest average of his career at the time. Of course, there was more to this than what met the eye, as Indiana's perimeter-oriented defense gave up plenty of easy buckets inside due to Turner being brought out of the paint most of the time, leaving fewer chances for blocks in general.
However, since getting some help on the defensive end after Siakam's arrival, Turner has settled into his role even better than before. Siakam's arrival gave Turner far more open opportunities inside, which he took advantage of, shooting 38% from deep in the second half of the season compared to 33% in the first half. Turner was also as efficient as ever from inside the arc, ranking 15th in the league in two-point percentage at 61.5%
While Myles Turner isn't a superstar-level player, he played well enough this season to get All-Star love from some media outlets (shout out Charles Barkley), and certainly well enough to be the third option on a bonafide playoff team. Turner will be playing in his first playoff series since 2020 soon, and Indiana is certainly hoping for a big series from the 27-year-old who has mostly impressed against Milwaukee this season.
Additionally, Turner benefited from something this season that was foreign to him in prior seasons, health. After missing 10, 40, and 35 games in the prior three seasons, Turner managed to play 77 games in 2024, the highest total since his second season, when he played 81 games. This newfound durability helped give him a sense of consistency, as his 77 games were second-most on the team behind Obi Toppin's 82.
Looking at Myles Turner from two years ago, who was struggling in the front court alongside Domantas Sabonis, Turner now is like night and day. It was clear that all he needed was for the frontcourt to open up, and with that happening, he has done everything the Pacers need from him.