Draft Profile: Myles Turner

Myles Turner made the whole country wait for his commitment last year. He was the #2 overall recruit in the nation and did not commit until April, which is extremely late for basketball players (most commit by December). He stands at 6 feet 11 inches and weighs around 240 pounds. He has a outrageous wingspan of 7 feet and 4 inches and uses this great length to his advantage. Turner did not have a stellar year at Texas, and frankly he under-performed, but at 19 he still has tons of time for his game to develop. Turner is projected to go before the Hawks select at #15, but he could be just what the Hawks are looking for on both sides of the ball.

Turner averaged 10.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in his freshman year at Texas. At 6 feet 11 inches he will probably be a Center in the NBA, but could be used at the Power Forward position. I would say Turner’s game right now is best described as erratic. He has a ton of talent and could blossom into an absolute superstar in the NBA, but he needs to find his ground. At Texas, Turner would be seen jacking up threes from distance, taking quick inefficient shots, and turning the ball over just a little to much. However, Turner has loads to love about his game. He is a hustle guy at both ends of the court. He does not take plays off and does whatever is necessary for the team to be successful. Most of his scoring comes from his shooting ability, which is extremely impressive for a player with his size. He can hit jumpers from both the post and the mid range area at a highly effective rate. He only shot 27.4% from behind the arc in college, but he does have the ability to knock down threes from distance. With a little more work and a lesson on shot selection, Turner could easily be a 30-35% three point shooter in the NBA. I think his shooting touch is best exemplified by his free throw shooting, where he shot 84% at Texas. On defense, Turner can be an anchor for any NBA team. Even though he is not the most athletic player in the draft, he has a great ability for timing blocks and affecting opposing players shots without fouling. He is a solid rebounder, but once again is not the most athletic big man. He uses his big body well to box out and create rebounds for his teammates.

Turner does a lot of things well, and has a lot of room for improvement. Under the right coaching staff, Turner could very well blossom into a superstar. He must refine his game and take more efficient shots, but his heart and hustle show he is a team guy, and I think he will make the sacrifices necessary to be great. I believe Mike Budenholzer and the rest of the Hawks coaching staff to be some of the best in the league, and I think if somehow Myles Turner ends up in the Hawks hands, it would be a huge success.

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