Ranking The Roster: Myles Turner assumes the position of Robin at 2nd

There’s a new number two in town, and it’s an old-enemy-turned-new-starting-center in Myles Turner. Turner came to the Bucks this offseason after spending 10 seasons with the rival Indiana Pacers. The former Texas Longhorn became a fixture in the Pacers’ starting lineup, playing in 609 games in the starting five out of 642 total games played. After the second-best-player spot was taken by Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton before that, Myles Turner now assumes that position.

Turner was obviously a shocking signing for the Bucks this past offseason; he seemed destined to return to the Pacers, with only the Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets having the requisite cap space to sign him. That and the fact that the Pacers just made a run to the NBA Finals, and even without Tyrese Haliburton, they seemed primed to steady the ship with Turner and the rest of the core that led them there. Yet, in a stroke of pure brilliance and madness by Bucks GM Jon Horst, he stretched Lillard’s max contract to free up the cap space to sign Turner. The Lego-building big man signed with the Bucks for four years at $108.8m, with a player option for the fourth year when Turner turns 32.

Turner is coming off his best three-point shooting season of his career, knocking down 39.6% on 5.5 attempts per game. Last season, he posted averages of 15.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 1.5 APG in 72 games for Indy. Turner can slot in as the new stretch five, allowing Giannis to continue to work his magic on the inside with excellent floor spacers around him. Outside of his three-point shooting ability, Turner is solid enough in the midrange, considering his volume, shooting 56.3% from 10 feet to the three-point line on 2.1 attempts per game. What Turner also brings on offense is high-end athleticism for a center; combining that with his screen-setting ability allows him to catch lobs from any one of the Bucks’ ball handlers. I could see Doc Rivers drawing up some big-on-big pick-and-roll, where Turner sets a screen for Giannis, drawing both bigs out of the paint and allowing Giannis some easy lanes to the basket.

What truly makes Turner a difference-maker is his ability on defense. He’s led the league in blocks twice and averaged over 2.7 blocks three times in his career. Last season, Turner combined to average 2.8 steals plus blocks per game, while posting a defensive rating of 111.5, which tied for third on the Pacers. Outside of the statsheet, he can fit into a bunch of different schemes on the defensive end of the floor. He will largely take over the role that Brook Lopez filled during his time as the man in the middle, playing drop coverage in the pick-and-roll while protecting the paint. The difference between Lopez and Turner is that he is athletic enough to play out on the perimeter. We all love Lopez and the strong play on both ends, and Splash Mountain will forever live in Bucks fans’ hearts, but Turner can do all the things he could and even more.

While he hasn’t made an All-Star game yet (and that may change playing next to Giannis this year), he can be a strong second option for this Bucks team, while bringing a defensive force on the back end. And be sure to vote in Brew Hoop’s final polls of this series on where you see both Giannis and Samurai Myles fitting in. Also, be on the lookout for our wrap-up of Ranking The Roster, as Giannis has taken the top spot for the 13th year in a row.