There was a point this season where I was comparing Myles Turner favorably to Jabari Parker. That was when he was hitting his midrange jumpers at a rate that, looking back, probably wasn’t sustainable. But can you blame me? His best game of the season ended up being the first one, when he scored 30, but he put up a whole bunch of nice, efficient (the most important thing) scoring games, as well as racking up tons of blocks. I saw the blocks, and I saw how Jabari rarely ever defends effectively at the rim, and I decided I wanted Turner over him.
That was hasty of me, but I still maintain that Turner was a really great player this season. Make a list of the 50 best players in the league, and guess what? I bet you have no choice but to put Turner somewhere in there. So what if he struggled with his shot to end the year? That doesn’t take away his solid play from the rest of this doomed Pacers campaign. AND, he’s only 21. A young 21. The intoxicating taste of alcohol is just now touching his lips for the first time, and he’s already maybe a top-50 player. Larry Bird, you can just go ahead and trade Paul George or whatever. He won’t be needed for much longer.