Indiana Pacers select Myles Turner with No. 11 pick in 2015 NBA draft
The Indiana Pacers selected Texas center Myles Turner with No. 11 pick in 2015 NBA draft on Thursday night at the Barclays Center.
Turner averaged 10.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in his freshman season. He shot 45.5% from the floor in 22.2 minutes per game and also hit 83.9% of his free throws.
Texas failed to advance from the round of 64 in the NCAA tournament last season, as the Butler Bulldogs limited Turner to two points and 10 rebounds in 16 minutes.
He was named to the All-Big 12 second team and earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors.
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Mannix's analysis: Turner is a huge talent. He rebounds, blocks shots and can shoot it from three. He’s a stretch-five with skills no other pivot has in the NBA today. But he’s a project. Physically, Turner needs to add a lot of lower body strength, and his numbers against good teams last year were far inferior to the inflated numbers he put up against bad ones. But here, at No. 11, he’s a quality, medium-risk, high-reward player.
Grade: B+
Strengths: Turner has a nice, high release on his shot that will translate well to the next level. He’s confident in the midrange and should be able to extend out to the NBA three on a consistent basis in time with his soft touch. That’s where the LaMarcus Aldridge comparisons hail from—bigs who can shoot and defend the rim will always be in demand. On the defensive end, Turner performed well at Texas despite being slow-footed and should be the type of guy you can park around the rim. He’s slim, but adding muscle is rarely a problem once NBA trainers get their hands on a prospect. He’s also an above-average rebounder, and presents good potential value based on where he’s projected.
Weaknesses: Turner lacks much of a post game beyond his trusty turnaround jumpers and doesn’t push people around inside. He’ll need to expand that area of his game at least enough to keep defenses honest. He’s not a great playmaker with the ball, a dimension that could augment his role on the inside. Turner isn’t a freak athlete and was a non-factor in transition for Texas, which doesn’t help his case in an uptempo league. Though he’s one of the better shot-blockers in this draft, foul trouble was a theme during his freshman year. Given his heavy feet, defending pick and rolls might be the major issue here. Unless his offense grows enough to make those deficiencies playable, Turner could be nothing more than a role player.
