Three Pacers players who benefit the most from Pascal Siakam returning
By Ryan Stano
2. Myles Turner
No other member in the starting lineup was helped more with Siakam's arrival in Indiana than Myles Turner. He had his best offensive season as a pro and a lot of that was due to Siakam's new involvement with the team. Once he got there, Turner's game really opened up.
Turner was excellent after the All-Star break once Siakam was in town and Haliburton was healthy enough to play again. He shot a blistering 41.5% on catch-and-shoot threes in that time. Those are the type of shots he's able to generate with a guy who makes the paint collapse like Siakam does.
Prior to the All-Star break, he was shooting just 35% in those scenarios. In fact, all of Turner's shooting splits ticked up after the All-Star break. Siakam coming into town was a big reason for him having the best offensive season of his career and he even helped him defensively a bit.
While Turner's defense has slipped a bit in recent years, Siakam's presence helped with that too. The length that he provides on the wing prevents Turner from having to clean up as many messes at the rim as he did last year and this year pre-Siakam arriving.
Turner should continue to flourish next year. He's the perfect three-and-D center that the league covets and he fits around Siakam and Haliburton perfectly. On offense, he's the third-most important player that the Pacers have.
The final member on this list is actually the best player on the bench.