For Pacers fans, the last fifteen seasons have been filled with disappointment. The 2004 Malice in the Palace fight between the Pacers and the Pistons remains a blemish not only on the history of each franchise, but on that of the entire NBA. Later that season, the Pacers, led by Reggie Miller in the final playoff run of his career, lost to the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. With 15.7 seconds left and the Pacers down by eight points, Rick Carlisle took Miller out of the game. Hugging players on both teams on his way to the bench, he was met with a teary-eyed goodbye from a dedicated fan base that watched the loyal sharpshooter carry their beloved Pacers deep into the playoffs, year after year, for nearly two decades. “Reggie! Reggie! Reggie!” they chanted.

 

During the initial years of the post Reggie-era, the Pacers struggled to find an identity. They made the playoffs the following season, but lost in the first round. Built around injury-prone All-Star Danny Granger, the Pacers missed the playoffs the next four seasons.

 

In 2011, things started to click. The Pacers hired Frank Vogel as their new coach and struck gold in the draft, picking small forward Paul George at #10 and shooting guard Lance Stephenson at #40. This young duo—complemented by George Hill, David West, and Roy Hibbert—finished near the top of the Conference every season and took the LeBron James-led Heat to six games in the 2012 Eastern Conference Semifinals, six games in the 2013 Conference Finals, and seven games in the 2014 Conference Finals. During this time, Paul George had established himself as a legit superstar wing, winning Most Improved Player in 2013. Freakishly athletic and long, polished on both sides of the ball, and poised beyond his years, George and his co-stars in Indy were not going to let the super team in South Beach waltz to the Finals anytime soon.

 

But right before the 2015 season started, George fractured his right leg in a scrimmage for Team USA. He played in only six games for the Pacers that season, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010 and subsequently disbanded the roster that had been considered among the deepest in the NBA.

Joe Robbins | Getty Images

When George came back the next season, he was better than ever, averaging 23.1 points, 7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, to along with his usual elite defense. But it was not the same team. The Pacers roster lacked the chemistry and talent of its days battling Miami in the playoffs, and they lost to the Raptors in the second round. After the season was over for Indiana, Vogel was replaced as head coach by Nate McMillan.

In 2017, George had another great season, only to lose one last time in the playoffs as a Pacer to LeBron James, now back in Cleveland. Sick of losing, George forced his way out of Indiana and was traded to Oklahoma City, where he will team up with the reigning MVP, Russell Westbrook.

 

Yet again, Pacers fans were left in the dust, wondering what their superstars Miller and George could have achieved for the Hoosier state had only one or two more things gone their way.

 

Thankfully, their next leader is already in the lineup; and he’s only twenty-one years old.

 

In the 2015 NBA draft, Myles Turner, a freshman shot-blocking center with a silky jumper from the University of Texas, was taken at #11. Because of his thin frame, lack of explosiveness and lateral mobility, and propensity for shooting outside of the paint, some doubted his ability to handle guarding and posting up NBA-sized big men.

Andy Lyons | Getty Images

Even though Turner was considered to be a project, it was clear that he had a lot of potential not only as a two-way player, but as a high character individual who could become a leader at a young age. “I work hard. It’s what I do.” Turner said, donning the Pacer logo on draft night after shaking hands with Adam Silver.

 

When Turner was a high schooler back in Texas, he had started to feel burnt out on basketball and strongly considered quitting altogether. Then, he broke his ankle. At the time, it seemed like a devastating blow to his already waning interest in committing to a top college. But it turned out to be a blessing. “Having the game taken away from me for six or seven months made me realize I can’t live without this.” he said in an interview with IndyStar. Turner came back strong and dominated the high school AAU scene, launching himself into NCAA superstardom at Texas.

As a Pacer, Turner caught the injury bug again, requiring a surgery on his thumb that forced him to sit 21 games in the beginning of the season. Shortly after returning to the floor, the Pacers were tasked with playing the 40-4 Warriors. Turner was spectacular, recording 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks in a loss on the road against the team that went on to break the NBA record for most wins in a season, going 73-9. Coming back from an injury that could have been a major setback to his young career, Turner came back and showed no signs of slowing down. He has faced adversity before, overcoming injuries and critics alike. And he has always emerged stronger as a result.

 

Overall, Turner’s rookie year was a good start, and he showed flashes of his scary potential in the playoffs, where he lead the NBA with 3.3 blocks per game. He was selected to Second Team All-Rookie.

 

In his sophomore year, Turner set the tone immediately. On opening night, he put up a dominant performance in a win against the Mavericks, with 30 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks, including a dagger three pointer.

https://youtu.be/NwoMO_gwO14

Turner showed immense improvement in his encore season. He went from averaging 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists, and 1.4 blocks on 53.1% true shooting to 14.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 2.1 blocks on 58.5% true shooting. This is an extremely impressive jump forward given the increase in both minutes and efficiency, especially since so many young players struggle to stay solid defensively and consistent offensively as it is, let alone when they are asked to take on a greater role. In fact, as pointed out by Pacers analyst Grant Afseth, Turner became one of only eight players in NBA history to be twenty-one or younger and average 14 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks. The other players on that list are Anthony Davis, Josh Smith, Pau Gasol, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O’Neal, and Chris Webber.

 

Now, still only twenty-one years old and entering his third year, Myles Turner has solidified himself as one of the best young two-way players in the NBA. Last season, he was 13th overall in the NBA in defensive box plus-minus,17th in defensive win shares, and 30th in defensive real plus-minus. For each of those statistics, he was #1 among players 21 or younger.

 

NBA fans are well aware of the talents of renaissance young bigs like Karl-Anthony Towns, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Kristaps Porzingis, but Turner is right there with them. He’s ahead of Towns, Jokic, and Porzingis on the defensive side of the floor, and unlike Embiid he has proven himself capable of playing a full season. If he can keep improving at this rate, he’ll be an All-Star sooner rather than later, especially since he’s playing in the East.

 

And with Paul George no longer in Indianapolis, Turner is now the longest-tenured Pacer. And to him, that comes with responsibility. When asked by Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype if he was ready to be the face of the franchise, he replied “Without a doubt… I want to become a leader one day. Why not start early?”

 

Larry Bird, the Indiana boy turned NBA legend and current President of the Pacers, said that Myles Turner has the potential to be the greatest player in team history.  When asked about this by Kennedy, Turner showed why he’s ready to lead the way. “When you have someone who is so confident in you and an organization that is so confident in your abilities and your future, it only motivates you to keep working and work harder and get better everyday.” he said.

Ron Hoskins | Getty Images

Going into the 2017-18 season, Turner is surrounded by a young core including the athletic shooting guard and Indiana University alumnus Victor Oladipo, fellow twenty-one-year old big man Domontas Sabonis, and 2017 first round pick and former UCLA Bruin power forward T.J. Leaf. Turner will also have Lance Stephenson, who made his return to Indiana toward the end of last season, Thad Young, and Darren Collison to help try and lead the Pacers back into the playoffs.

 

But Turner is the man for Indiana, and Pacers fans are all in. With an impressive first two years in the NBA under his belt, a young roster to lead, and a great head on his shoulders, look to Myles Turner to be a strong contender for Most Improved Player this season.