Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner led the NBA in blocks for the second time this season. With a career-high 3.4 blocks per game. He's one of the league's most prominent defenders, but he's only looked at as a rim protector.
In an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints, Turner opened up about being overlooked defensively.
Not only did Myles Turner lead the NBA in blocks, but he did while averaging 0.9 steals. Nearly one takeaway per game for the big man.
It was the second time in his career averaging that amount. After outdoing the 2020-21 Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert in blocks and steals, Myles Turner failed to make an all-defensive team.
“If it's not the Defensive Player of the Year, it's at least the all-defensive team with what I've done. People say I just block shots, and that couldn't be further from the truth. I'm one of the better pick-and-roll defenders in the game, and I guard the perimeter. Teams don't make it a focal point to switch on me. They'll try to pick on somebody else because they know I can move my feet. I can recover and block shots. I average a steal a game, but there's more stuff that I'm doing that doesn't get the acknowledgment that it deserves. You would've never seen if you had never watched me play. That's the problem.”
Small market teams have a tough time getting their stars the recognition they deserve. It's one of the reasons players decide to leave for bigger markets during free agency, an issue the NBA has been trying to fix for some time.
Myles Turner has two years left under his current contract. The thought of losing the NBA's leading shot-blocker is not something the Pacers have to worry about yet. Figuring out how to win games and getting their players noticed nationally is the current task. Everyone knows that in basketball and most other endeavors, winning fixes all problems.
“We have these media members, they see all these ESPN games, and they see all these TNT games. Indiana Pacers aren't on ESPN and TNT. We maybe get two, maybe three games a year on national TV. So they've never seen me play,” Turner told ClutchPoints.
All players like recognition for their hard work, and playing in a small market shouldn't penalize players. The truth of the matter is that it does. Not being acknowledged can keep players from making All-Star appearances, getting awards, collecting endorsements, and more.
“They only see the box score. They (media) don't get to see the advanced stats, Turner said. “You don't get to see this talented defensive player every day. You only get to hear word of mouth only get to see one or two games a year.”
Myles Turner understands the uphill battle he faces when going after his goals. He uses it as fuel to be better and better each season.
Turner is constantly in the gym trying to perfect his craft. You can catch him on Instagram training in gyms with no air conditioning, pushing himself to the limit. Although he has already proved to be a good player in this league, he knows the world hasn't seen the best version of himself. That reality motivates him to keep going.
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