Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner talks career year, new contract, and more on Gilbert Arenas' 'Gil's Area' podcast

Turner sat down on Gil's Area for over an hour

Myles Turner is finally having an offseason where he is out of the transaction news cycle. The Indiana Pacers center spent years as a trade candidate, but he signed a contract extension during the 2022-23 season and had a career year. It's clear that the Pacers value him highly.

In the midst of his offseason, Turner went to Milan, Italy for Milan fashion week before returning to the United States and descending upon Las Vegas. He attended NBA Con and sat courtside for some Pacers Summer League action.

While in Vegas, Turner joined Gilbert Arenas' podcast 'Gil's Area' for a wide-ranging discussion about basketball and his personal life, including his best-ever season and new deal.

To Turner, much of his success last year was about moving back to his natural position. After a few years playing the four alongside Domantas Sabonis, he was a full-time center again in 2022-23. That helped him bloom. "I got to play my position," he said of his breakout. "The five is something I played my entire career."

Turner averaged 18.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game this past season, both of which were career high numbers. Playing the five alone while also pairing with All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton helped Turner reach new heights. At the four spot, Turner felt like he had to do a lot of thinking about when to cut, when to space the floor, and other less natural tasks. At the five, it's all instinctual.

Veteran forward James Johnson helped Turner get his confidence back up this season. Johnson is still a free agent, but many Pacers players pointed to him as an important piece in the locker room for the blue and gold last year.

While moving to the five helped Turner, so did his varied skill set. He isn't limited to just pick-and-roll or pop situations. He can score going to his right hand in the post, he can cut, and he has a few useful dribble moves. The big man noted to Arenas that his dad pushed him to work on guard skills growing up and when playing AAU basketball, and that helped him become a more well-rounded player. Now, that is required of centers in the NBA. Turner was ahead of the curve.

Defensively, Turner still shines, and the group chatted about Turner's skill not matching his accolades — more specifically, his lack of defensive recognition. Turner has always been considered one of the best rim protectors and drop coverage players in the NBA, but he has never been named to an All-Defense team. 

"A few years ago, it used to kind of get at me," Turner said. He noted that being in a small market is a factor, but also believes that wins will help his resume. Now, he doesn't need the recognition that comes with awards. "I don't need the outside validation," he said.

Turner's two-way play led to a large contract extension last season. He received two additional years on his deal and $60 million in new money, an agreement that was only possible because of Indiana's salary cap situation. It was a win-win deal.

It was surprising, given how much was up in the air about Turner's future. He was playing on an expiring contract, and Indiana couldn't afford to lose him for nothing. Istead, they found a way to keep him.

"It's all love. I got to give a big shoutout to (Pacers owner) Herb Simon," Turner said of the contract. "I've been blessed and fortunate to be with the same organization that drafted me my entire career. It's very rare," he added. The big man has been with the blue and gold since they selected him in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Now that Turner feels more settled at his position and is in a great spot for his career, he told Arenas that his next steps are about being more of a vet. He mentioned Ian Mahinmi, Paul George, Rodney Stuckey, Al Jefferson, and Monta Ellis as guys that were important to him as a younger player. Now, he wants to be that for others as he grows into a more dominant center.

A factor in Turner's improvement, and his excitement for his situation, is that he is teammates with Haliburton. Haliburton is one of the NBA's best point guards, and his ability to set up other players and manipulate a defense benefits everyone. Turner, for example, saw his true shooting percentage climb by over 7% when he shared the court with Haliburton last season.

Indiana was 26-22 when both Haliburton and Turner were active. With better help and time to grow, the team hopes to build on that in the coming season. 

"A true f---ing artist, a true point guard," Turner said of Haliburton. "He wants to pass before he actually scores." Turner added that comments made by Wally Szczerbiak really motivated Haliburton during the season.

Turner also discussed Victor Wembanyama, other dominant NBA centers, and fashion with Arenas. You can listen and watch the full podcast at this hyperlink.

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