HoopsHype recently ranked among the top 30 players in the NBA at the center position, and Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner did well in the exercise.
Turner, who is about to enter his 10th season with the Pacers, was ranked the 11th-best big man in the association. The list, compiled by author Frank Urbina, is designed to predict the top 30 players at each position based on their expected impact in the upcoming campaign.
Last year, Turner had one of his best seasons. The veteran played in 77 games and was productive in most of them, averaging 17.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. His defense isn’t what it used to be, but he’s been tasked with cleaning up a ton of messes for the blue and gold, averaging 1.9 blocks per game.
What made last year different for the big man was the playoffs. Turner has been there before and played well, but he has significantly increased his production in the playoffs this season. The 28-year-old averaged 17 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and was a key piece in Games 3 and 4 of the team’s first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, which was a major game-changer. Indiana might not have advanced without Turner’s strong play in those moments, and he continued to be effective the rest of the way on the big stage.
The highest-ranked center on the list is Nikola Jokic. The two players just ahead of Turner are Chet Holgren and Kristaps Porzingis, and Jarrett Allen and Nikola Vucevic are just behind him.
A lottery pick in 2015, Turner is averaging 13.9 points and 6.8 rebounds over his career. No other Pacers big man has been ranked in the top 30. the full list can be found here.
