National Basketball Association

Myles Turner's Rim Protection is a Critical Part of the Indiana Pacers Defense

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Myles Turner is shaping up to be an elite rim defender for the Indiana Pacers if his rookie season is any indication.

Myles Turner didn’t disappoint as a shot blocker and rim defender last season for the Indiana Pacers despite being a rookie.

So how much better will he be during the 2016-17 NBA season? The departure of Ian Mahinmi leaves the Pacers with Turner as the only rim protector left, so the answer to that question goes a long way in deciding how good Indiana’s defense will be.

The good news is he’s already shaping up to be one of the NBA’s best if things continue trending in the right direction. We’ll get to the numbers in a moment, but to give you an idea, he’s in the same neighborhood as DeMarcus Cousins and Karl-Anthony Towns when it comes to defending the rim.

As Zach Harper of CBS Sports highlights, he’s not just causing opponents to miss shots, he’s making them reconsider shooting the ball.

How they were last season: Myles Turner is our second rookie here and he already looks to be a pretty superb rim protector. He had some of the more entertaining shot block highlights last season, and he contested a ton of shots. The Pacers gave up three percent fewer attempts when he was on the floor and his 50.7 percent allowed at the rim was acceptable for a rookie (especially if you go by Synergy’s 44.4 percent for him around the basket). He saved just over a point per 36 minutes, which definitely seems good for a rookie big man.

How they project for this season: Turner, much like Jokic, should be able to handle a bigger workload this season, as long as he’s healthy (22.8 minutes per game and missed 22 games). The Pacers have added Jeff Teague, Thaddeus Young, and Al Jefferson to bolster the experience on the roster, but Turner is the sole rim protector on the team. Now that he’s more adjusted to the NBA style of play, expect him to start moving toward becoming one of the better rim protectors in the NBA.

It is a simple concept: Forcing teams out of the paint leads to better defense. It was one of the reasons why the Pacers challenged the Miami Heat for a spot in the Finals a few years ago.

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Roy Hibbert stopped Dwyane Wade and LeBron James from driving to the basket nearly as often, which forced LeBron to develop a floater to counter it. That had a big impact on how Miami played, and when Hibbert got into foul trouble, life was much easier for the Heat.

Turner’s showing the same ability that Hibbert had in his best years, and the benefits show in fewer points and a lower FG% for Indiana’s opponents.

The 20-year-old Texan’s 7’4″ wingspan and improving ability to position himself on the floor allows him to cover a lot of ground, which is especially useful on help-defense blocks. He’s shown the right instincts when it comes to sagging off of his assignment and taking easy points off the board for Indiana’s opponents.

This summer with the Team USA Select Team we saw more evidence of his improving defense as he blocked Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins in their scrimmages.

Indiana’s defense was one of the NBA’s best last season — 3rd in defensive rating — but the departures of Mahinmi and George Hill make it hard to hold on to that spot.

Even though their rating will likely slip, Turner’s play will go a long way in determining how quickly the slide will end.

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