HoopsHype recently ranked the top-30 players in the NBA at the center position, and Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner fared well in the exercise.
Turner, who is about to enter his 10th season with the Pacers franchise, graded out as the 11th best big man in the association. The list, which is compiled by author Frank Urbina, is designed to predict the top-30 players at each position based on their projected impact in the coming campaign.
Last year, Turner had one of his best-ever seasons. The veteran big man 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 is tasked with cleaning up a ton of messes for the blue and gold, and he averaged 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 upped his postseason production in a major way this past campaign. The 28-year old averaged 17 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and was a vital piece in Games 3 and 4 of the team’s first round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, which changed the best-of-seven set in a major way. Indiana may not have advanced without Turner’s strong play in those moments, and he continued to be effective for the remainder of the games on the big stage.
The top-rated center on the list is Nikola Jokic. The two players right in front of Turner are Chet Holgren and Kristaps Porzingis, and Jarrett Allen and Nikola Vucevic sit just behind him.
A 2015 lottery pick, Turner has averaged 13.9 points and 6.8 rebounds for his career. No other Pacers big men were ranked in the top 30. The entire list can be found here.
Shams CharaniaTim MacMahonCloseTim MacMahonESPN Staff WriterJoined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas MavericksAppears regular
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