Indiana Pacers Center Myles Turner makes an early case for defensive player of the year

Myles Turner has always been one of the best defensive players in the NBA. Since the Pacers giant entered the league in 2015, only three players have blocked more shots than he has. His defense box is a plus-minus of +1.3 in the same time frame at level 31 among high-minute players. Few boys have played defense better than the Indiana center over the last half-decade.

But now, after five seasons of sustained overall growth and strong defensive play, Turner has taken his less glamorous talents to court to another level. In the 2020-21 season, his plus-minus defensive box sits at +3.0, tied for best mark in the NBA. His block rate is currently at major league level. And it sticks to fringe players better than ever before. To put it bluntly: Myles Turner plays as the best defensive player in the NBA.

“You didn’t think [Turner] it could go to a different level to defense, but it has gone to a completely different level to defense, ”Pacers forward JaKarr Sampson said of Turner ‘s developments this season. “It protects our periphery. It does a good job of holding down that paint and is a force to be reckoned with. He’s changed a lot of shots. Even the scenes he doesn’t reach, he changes them and makes people think about them. It’s big for us right now. ”

Turner’s fringe defense, in particular, has been lame and strong this season. When he turns from the weak side to stop a driving opponent, he is often able to stop. In a drop broadcast, when the Texas product is tasked with protecting both a ball-handler and a screen-maker for a few minutes, he has locked up offenses. And when he gets a chance to turn a shot into the empty crowd, he takes full advantage – Turner has blocked 45 laughs through 11 games this season.

“It has certainly been my goal to start the season strong on the defensive end,” Turner said early in the 2020-21 campaign. “I have been honored as a bullet blocker in this league. I know it’s something I do. But I’m trying to take that to the next step. I have already proven that you can lead the league in blocks and not make an All-Defensive team or be the defensive player of the year. So it’s time to do more and say more to myself about that. “

With more certainty, Turner makes more of an impact. A feature that has allowed the six-year-old vet to be more versatile and more powerful in defense this season. In due course, the Pacers changed Head Coaches from Nate McMillan to Nate Bjorkgren. They also parted ways with Deputy Coach Dan Burke, who played a key role in Pacers’ old defensive strategies.

The blue and gold coaching change plays a much more aggressive role on defense. Guards and wings swim the ball and fly around. When those edge players get hit with a dribble move or a pass, it’s up to Turner to cover for their mistakes. In addition, he has to push ball handlers himself when it comes to bullet throwers.

That audacity has not been a problem for the general defense so far. “He’s so active,” Bjorkgren said of Turner on defense. “My attack on the defensive head is my recommendation. His work is difficult several times. ”

Bjorkgren, who just likes to talk about basketball, explained something he admits about his starting point on defense: that Turner succeeds in defending two players on his own. The Pacers coach explained that the big man has to deal with a player who presses on the paint and cutter at the same time. But Turner often succeeds in these situations. It turns a situation that is usually sticky to the advantage of the Pacers.

“Sometimes the ball gets right on and the big one dives behind it. So he has to play a lot of 2-on-1 and we ask him to play two, the ball and his husband, a lot, ”said Bjorkgren. “Most of the time, it comes away with that impact there with a block or a discount or just some way of changing the angle of the bullet or the pass. ”

Statistically, the numbers agree with Bjorkgren. Turner gets an average of 3.4 discounts per game, tied for 10th in the league. As mentioned before, it first ran in blocks. It forces forces to miss at the edge better than most, it has a defensive field goal percentage from within six-feet of 42.2%, which ranks fifth in the NBA among players which defends at least five hits per game at basketball. His bullet competitions force opponents to lose 16% more often than expected. Its effect is obvious no matter how you try to find it: with your eyes or with the numbers.

Opposition teams hunt for different shots when Turner is in the game. He scares matchups away from the paint, and they go out of tight layups in a way they don’t when the previous lottery selection is on the bench. With the Pacers starting in the game, the opponents try a smaller percentage of their hits from four feet in and out than they do when at rest. Turner makes it difficult for other teams to even get the shots they want.

“He’s a man who could change a lot of shots,” Houston Rockets defender John Wall said of Turner this season. “He does a good job coming from the weak side and stopping views. That is what it is for. ”

Turner’s influence on the game gives the players more confidence in their respective roles. Pacers ’fringe defenders can be more aggressive, as their new coach wants, and more confident in finding out they won’t get hit or make a mistake, but Myles is behind them to keep things in order. His presence allows Indiana backyard players to play more freely, which improves everyone’s defensive effectiveness.

Victor Oladipo is one of those backfield players, and he’s been playing better defense this season in part because of his ability to always be aggressive with Turner behind him. “I feel like now that our guards are proud of the weight of a ball and getting up to be boys and making it difficult for boys, Myles has been a huge hit for us,” Oladipo said. “[His defense] it is needed. I’ve said it before and I’m going to say it again. We need it. ”

Perhaps the clearest way to demonstrate Turner’s defensive influence is by looking at how good his team is defensively when he’s in the game. With Turner on the court, the Pacers have taken on 769 points in 714 possessions, making up a defensive level of 107.7. When the big 6’11 ”sits? The team has conceded 442 points in 397 attempts. That’s a defensive level above 111.3, which is nearly four points worse than when Turner is in the game. It is absolutely essential for the defense of Indiana.

That difference becomes even more dramatic when the Domantas Sabonis co-op is taken out of the equation. When Turner is the only center on the court for the blue and gold, the Pacers have admitted 217 points in 216 times down the court, good for an elite defense rating of 100.5. When Turner is the captain of the defense, it is impossible for the Pacers to score.

“What he is doing right now is special,” Oladipo said. “I hope he understands that. I’m pretty sure he will because I tell him every day. ”

It may be a specific sub-statement. The big man who closes photos is doing everything for the Pacers, and he’s making his case for defensive player of the year. He shut down perhaps the best offensive player in basketball, James Harden, earlier in the season, which is just a buried point on the long list of reasons that Turner may be the most defensive player. best in the NBA right now.

“He did a great job being in the right places. It’s always good, ”Harden said of Turner after the Pacers beat the Rockets and Turner blocked Harden three times. “Tonight he won.”

After years of being a great, but not very elite, defensive player, Myles Turner seems to have taken the leap into defensive superstition. He has a coach who uses a unique defensive scheme for his strengths, and he takes advantage of being an obstacle for all opponents. If he is a stronghold of this genre for the entire season, Turner has a strong chance of winning the defensive player of the year award.

“I am doing everything I can and can try to separate myself and show what I can. [defensively], ”Turner said. “Indiana has known for years what my abilities are, but it’s time for the rest of the league to get to know him and the rest of the country. So I’m going to keep to myself and continue playing my game. We hope the craft speaks for itself. ”

Turner knows how well he has defended this season. The numbers know it, too. And the eye test proves just how amazing the Pacers center has been. After each major defensive performance, stars around the league hand out Turner props for his defense. They all know how difficult it is to score. And soon, everyone will know it. It’s early in the season, but Myles Turner could be on his way to the first defensive player of the year award.