Myles Turner is ready to be the new face of the Indiana Pacers.
Turner looks like the last man standing ahead of Paul George’s leaving the team via trade, or at worst, free agency in 2018. George has made it clear to the front office he wants out so he can play for a contender, which he hopes will be his hometown Los Angeles Lakers.
As captured by HoopsHype, Turner is more than willing to take over:
“The first thing I thought was, ‘Alright, well, what’s next?’ We have to start rebuilding and look at what we can do for our future. That was my initial thought. PG has to do what’s best for him and his family. He’s from L.A. so I feel like he’s always wanted to play with them. I think it was a childhood dream of his and you can’t take that personally. He’s been here in Indy for eight or nine years and done a great job here. If he wants to move onto other endeavors, you have to let him do what he wants to do. I don’t take it personally at all. He’s done great things here and I wish him all the best and good luck going forward.”
Turner is only 21, yet he’s a big reason Pacers fans shouldn’t despair over the loss of George.
After all, the former Texas star averaged 14.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks a season ago while playing second fiddle to George on the offensive end of the court. He takes over the burden as soon as PG13 leaves, ensuring him a major jump in numbers.
Turner looks good as the centerpiece to a rebuild, especially if the front office can get back some quality assets for George via trade. And he’s clearly ready to take charge of the rebuild and put the Pacers on his shoulders.
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