Questions loom about whether or not Pacers center Myles Turner will get extended by Indiana as he enters the final year of his contract. Turner, now 28, is a name that has been linked to the San Antonio Spurs for the past handful of seasons, with a deal never getting done.
In that time, Turner has improved into a well-rounded stretch-five center, while San Antonio has been going through some growing pains.
Still, years later, Turner is a name that the team should consider this off-season, especially with Victor Wembanyama there, and here is why.
Spurs should target Myles Turner to pair with Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama has become one of the league’s future superstars, solidifying the hype. There have been reports that players around the league are interested in the notion of playing next to him. Turner could be added to that list.
Wembanyama has all the tools to lead a franchise, but every star still needs a little help. That is where Turner comes into play. Turner averaged 17.2 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks during the regular season with Indiana. Turner was also among the top 30 players in the league in field goal percentage, standing at 52.6 percent.
Indiana enjoyed a successful season that saw them march all the way to the conference finals before losing to the Boston Celtics. In these playoffs, Turner showed up big for his team. Over the three series’ played, Turner put up eight 20-point games, 4 being double-doubles, and was efficient in scoring the basketball inside the paint and beyond.
Now is the right time to acquire Myles Turner
Turner could cost San Antonio less than he would have two years ago. Therefore, bringing on Turner would still leave the team money to spend elsewhere if they wanted to.
But the main reason to add a player of Turner’s caliber is what he can bring to the team defensively. San Antonio was one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA this season. Wembanyama, of course, nearly captured the Defensive Player of the Year award, but, overall, San Antonio collectively scared nobody. Perhaps a Wembanyama-Turner frontcourt duo would improve that.
Both Wembanyama and Turner were among the top 5 players in the NBA in blocks this season.
Coach Gregg Popovich has experience with an offense centered around two big men (Tim Duncan and David Robinson). However, for the last half-decade, Popovich has tried to keep up with the modern-day NBA and go towards smaller lineups, which has had mediocre success.
When Wembanyama came to town, having a big man as the offense’s focal point became the main objective again. With Turner joining San Antonio, the two would dominate in the post, scaring away any penetration in the lane.
With the ball in his hands, Turner does many things well. He continues to improve as a scorer and is becoming a better scorer away from the basket. If there were an area where Turner was better than Wembanyama, it would be in field goal and three-point percentage. Wembanyama may surpass Indiana’s center in this area as time passes, but as it stands now, Turner offers aspects to the offense that Wembanyama might not.
Wembanyama and Turner also both excel in the pick-and-roll. Assuming San Antonio addresses their point guard position soon, having two versatile bigs would open up the offense tremendously.
Ultimately, Turner could come in right away as the team’s starting center. This would put Wembanyama in the power forward position, which could work given his success at the four spot at times last season.
While San Antonio has a lot to focus on in the coming weeks, adding the idea of Turner to their “to-do list” would be a smart idea. Bringing Turner back to his home state is a win-win for both parties.
