Now in his 10th season with the Indiana Pacers, Myles Turner is constantly proving just how valuable he is to the team's success. He makes an impact on both sides of the floor and is one of the best stretch big men in the entire league. Furthermore, his presence is always missed whenever he is not on the floor.
Since he is in a contract year and cannot sign a new extension before hitting free agency this summer, there is a chance that Turner's days in Indiana are numbered. However, as it stands, there are very few reasons to believe he is going to move on in the offseason. Instead, it sounds like Turner will likely remain a Pacer for the long haul as they look to win an NBA Championship.
While Turner is a great fit for the Pacers, he is not flawless. However, recently, head coach Rick Carlisle revealed a message he sent to Turner that could make him (and the Pacers overall) that much better.
Rick Carlisle emphasized working on Myles Turner's biggest flaw
Turner's biggest flaw is his rebounding. In his entire NBA career so far, the Texas native has never averaged more than 7.5 rebounds per game. Furthermore, just this season alone, Turner has logged 10 or more rebounds in just 12 games. This is a big problem that also impacts the rest of the team.
The Pacers are constantly outrebounded and losing out on positions. Late in the season, their 41.2 rebounds per game are the second-lowest in the league (only the Philadelphia 76ers are lower). While they have proven that they can contend despite this major flaw, it can still be a problem once the playoffs come around. However, Carlisle's latest message to Turner does bode well for the team.
"I said to him, 'You only should be thinking about one thing and that is getting 10 rebounds or more in this game and every game,'" Carlisle said. "Because when he gets 10 rebounds, so many great things happen for us and him."
In the 12 games Turner records double-digit rebounds, Indiana is 8-4. Their four losses were to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee Bucks, and Detroit Pistons, who are all playoff-bound (and the Charlotte Hornets, to be fair).
If Turner can grab more rebounds, that will help the Pacers a ton. It will give them more possessions and opportunities to run the score up. Given that they are an offense-first team, this is exactly what they need in order to make another deep playoff run this year.
It will be interesting to see what comes of Carlisle's message. However, Pacers fans have the right to be excited about it as it should only make them better with the playoffs right around the corner.