Myles Turner has improved significantly this season. Just ask his former teammates and coaches
A quick glance at Myles Turner's stats shows that he is having his best-ever season for the Indiana Pacers. He is averaging 17.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, both of which are career highs. His three-point shooting percentage (39%) and true shooting percentage (66.4%) are both higher than they have ever been before. His defense is still excellent. Turner is having a career year at age 26 and has been a huge part of the Pacers' surprising start.
Prior to this season, Turner had four 30-plus point games in his career. He has four this year alone, and he has more games with 20 or more points (12) than he has games with fewer than 14 points (nine). His production has reached a new level, and the 23-22 Pacers are 20-16 when Turner plays. He has been excellent during this campaign.
"Believe me, I have no interest in trading Myles Turner," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said last week after the Pacers lost to the Knicks, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Carlisle has noted on multiple occasions how important Turner is to the team's success this year.
Turner's former teammates and coaches have noticed that, too. The big man has spent his entire eight-year career with Indiana, so many players have come through the Circle City during his tenure. They see something different with the big man this season.
"It's great to see how much he's grown and how much better he is, and how much he continues to keep getting better," Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo said of Turner. Oladipo and Turner were teammates for just over three seasons, including a trio of postseason appearances. They battled on the glass all night when the Heat played the Pacers, something that Oladipo said was difficult. Miami beat Indiana by five that day.
"He's just more confident," Oladipo added. Turner had 15 points and 13 rebounds that night. "He's played a lot of basketball, he's played here for a while. Just comfortable, seems comfortable in the system. Just got to keep getting better. That's really all he needs to just focus on — improving and continuing to maximize his talent. Everything else will take care of itself."
Confidence has been a factor in Turner's play throughout his career. When Turner is at his peak level of self-assurance, he makes quicker decisions and plays with more force, especially on offense. When he is timid, his impact drops.
This season, he has played with more confidence on a nightly basis, as Oladipo noted. He isn't the only person to note that, though. Justin Holiday, who spent two and a half seasons with Turner and the Pacers, sees something similar.
"I think Myles is always a confident person, but I think his confidence is at an all-time high. He's making decisions right away and doing it, rolling with it," Holiday said while snapping to emphasize the speed at which Turner is making decisions. "I think that's very, very important when you're playing a basketball game. That's like the biggest difference I can see with him."
Turner finished with 18 points and six rebounds against Holiday's Hawks that night in a dominant Pacers win. The most impressive part of that performance is that Turner finished with 18 points without making a single three-point shot. He did his damage in the paint and around the basket.
Outings like that show another way Turner has grown — his offensive approach is more varied this season. Instead of perpetually remaining beyond the arc, he ducks in and rolls after screens and makes plays on the interior. The Pacers roster construction and scheme weren't set up for that to happen as often in past seasons, but this year Turner is taking advantage of the chance to be a threat inside and out.
That makes him harder to guard. "He's also getting the ball more in the paint. These are things that he's always been able to do, it's just he's getting the ball more in spots that work for him," Holiday said. "I'm happy for him," he added. The veteran wing enjoyed playing with Turner and still loves returning to Indianapolis for game action. The Pacers traded Holiday to Sacramento last February.
In the trade with Holiday, Indiana also sent big man Domantas Sabonis to the Kings. Sabonis, a two-time All-Star, discussed going against the Pacers, and Turner, earlier in the season. In exchange for the man in the middle, the Pacers received Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and other small pieces.
From that trade until the end of the 2021-22 season, Turner was out with a foot injury. He didn't play without Sabonis until the ongoing season. But starting at the five this season and not sharing the floor with another big man has played a part in Turner having more opportunities to cut inside and make varied decisions after setting screens. That roster change has elevated the big man's play.
"He's able to play the five this year. I think Domas [Sabonis] was playing the five last year and the year before. Couple years in a row. So [Turner] is able to play his natural position this year," former Pacers guard Caris LeVert said. LeVert spent just over one calendar year with the blue and gold and played in 42 games with Turner across two seasons.
In the hours after LeVert shared those thoughts, the Pacers beat the Cavaliers while Turner finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Haliburton, meanwhile, finished with 29 points and nine assists for the Pacers, and LeVert was asked if he thinks playing with a point guard like Haliburton is helping Turner at all.
"Yeah," he said. "You know Myles, he can score from all three levels. And they play a little different than they have been playing in the past. They were playing with two bigs, and now it's kinda just five shooters out there. So it's hard for the defense to make decisions."
It isn't just former teammates that have noticed Turner's growth. Prior Pacers coaches have, too. Nate McMillan, who was Turner's head coach for four full seasons and over half of the games played during his career, also has seen the 26-year old improve this year.
All four seasons in which Turner and McMillan overlapped ended with a Pacers postseason berth. The center was much younger at the time and was a developing piece for the blue and gold. Now, Turner is one of the older Pacers players, which stands out to McMillan.
"He's an old vet now... those were some of the things he and I talked about, looking at the veterans. Because one day, you're going to be that guy that's going to be kind of the older guy in the room. Guys are going to be following you," McMillan said of Turner in late December. Then, he dove into the skills that make Turner such a threat.
"He's still doing what he's been doing since coming into the league. He's defending the basket, blocking shots," the now-Hawks head coach said. McMillan is 18th all time in regular season wins by a head coach. "He plays with a great deal of energy and he has a great spirit about it. It seems like he's having fun playing."
McMillan added that the Pacers are playing with a faster tempo this season. Turner isn't known for his speed, but his ability to keep up with, and enhance, the Pacers style has added to his terrific campaign. Turner has seized a new opportunity this season and has grown significantly as a result. Everyone has noticed.
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