Myles Turner is having a player of the year season in defense for the Indiana Pacers. The power forward already was the 2019 blocks leader in the NBA, and while those stats were not enough to put him on the NBA All-Defensive team, this season Turner is really something else. Turner told ESPN that "My drive this year pushes beyond rim protection, I want to show the league what everyone in Indy's known for years now -- that I'm a defensive anchor and I take pride in that." Turners stats show that completely, he has an average of 3.9 blocks per game, the most for any player since Alonzo Mourning in the 1998/99 season. In this season alone Turner blocked three shots in 10 consecutive games.
That defensive output has helped the Indiana Pacers to a 12-9 record with Turner having 5 blocks against the Grizzlies last night, and another 5 against the Hornets on January 27th. Turner had 6 blocks against the Raptors on January 24th and scoring 25 points in the process.
While the Pacers have been inconsistent this season, Turner has not, posting an average of 3.9 blocks per game ,14.5 points per game, and 7 rebounds. If he continues these kind of performances, he is a shoe in for the All-Star game and All- Defensive Team.
What head coach Nate Bjorkgren has said about Myles Turner
Nate Bjorkgren, the Indiana Pacers coach, has been signing praises about Turner, as he recently stated to ESPN, "He knows his importance to this team and also he knows just how active he can create our defense and what he means to protecting the rim for us."
Coach Bjorkgren laid out a plan as to what he wanted to see from Turner at the start of the season and the player has responded in strides. As the Pacers play a more zonal game, this makes sure Turner stays close to the rim and does his defensive duties.
Myles Turner at the moment leads the league in blocks at almost 4 per game, this would be the NBA’s biggest margin in the last 20 years. Serge Ibaka recorded 3.7 back in the 2011/12 season.
