Myles Turner was expected to be the face of the franchise for the Indiana Pacers after the team was forced to trade Paul George last offseason. Many fans and media members expected a massive breakout season for him. Unfortunately, that season did not end up being the case, and Turner was not considered to be the face of the Pacers’ franchise when everything was said and done.
That didn’t necessarily have anything to do with Turner doing something wrong. It had everything to do with Victor Oladipo breaking out into stardom and becoming an All-Star.
During the 2017-18 season with the Pacers, Turner ended up averaging 12.7 points per game to go along with 6.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. He shot 47.9 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 35.7 percent of his three-point attempts.
Now, Turner is hoping to make the leap in 2018-19 that he was expected to last season. He is hoping to come in and be the legitimate No. 2 scoring option alongside Oladipo. Turner wants to prove that he is capable of living up to the huge expectations that have been set for him in Indiana.
Indiana is a team that could compete for the Eastern Conference title this season. After LeBron James’ departure, the Pacers are one of the few teams, along with the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Toronto Raptors, that could represent the conference in the NBA Finals. The Pacers were able top push James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in the round of the playoffs last season.
Nate McMillan and company have to be excited with the offseason they put together. Kevin Pritchard knew what the team needed and signed Tyreke Evans and Doug McDermott. Indiana also added big man Kyle O’Quinn.
All of that being said, the biggest thing for the Pacers’ chances in the East is the development of Turner. If he can take the next step, Indiana will be tough to beat.
What three ways does Turner need to improve heading into the 2018-19 NBA season to take that step?
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