Reviewing Myles Turner’s 2016-17 Season

The 2016-17 season was certainly a career year for Myles Turner. The Indiana Pacers finished the regular season with a 42-40 record, and that earned them a trip to the postseason as the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference.

Their season ended in the opening round of the playoffs at the hands of the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

Myles averaged career highs in volume statistics that included minutes (31.4), points (14.5), rebounds (7.2), assists (1.3), steals (0.9), and blocks (2.1).

He also recorded career bests in field goal percentage (51.1%), 3-point percentage (34.8%), 2-point percentage (53.6%), and free throw percentage (80.9%).

He averaged playoff career bests in minutes (33.3), points (10.8), rebounds (6.8), assists (0.8), steals (1.8), and turnovers (1.5). Regarding scoring efficiency, he posted a career best in 2-point percentage (50%).

Myles’s regular season averages ranked quite well among other 20-year-olds in team history: minutes (1st), points (1st), rebounds (1st), assists (3rd), steals (2nd), and blocks (1st).

His scoring efficiency fared well when compared to other 20-year-olds in franchise history: field goal percentage (1st), 2-point percentage (3rd), 3-point percentage (2nd), free throw percentage (1st), effective field goal percentage (1st), and true shooting percentage (1st).

When referencing playoff averages for 20-year-olds in Pacers’ history, here is how Myles fared: minutes (1st), points (1st), rebounds (1st), assists (3rd), steals (1st), and blocks (2nd).

Myles’s playoff scoring efficiency stacked up nicely when compared his fellow 20-year-olds in franchise history: field goal percentage (1st), 2-point percentage (1st), 3-point percentage (T-2nd), free throw percentage (2nd), effective field goal percentage (1st), and true shooting percentage (1st).

He joined Jermaine O’Neal and Herb Williams as the only players in Pacers’ history to average at least 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks. His volume averages might have been the lowest of the seasons that matched this criterion, but Myles’s scoring efficiency was the greatest in every single category.

Not only did Myles rank third in the NBA in blocks per game, but he also joined Rudy Gobert, Anthony, and Hassan Whiteside as the only players to average at least 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks during the 2016-17 season.

Myles was among historic company with his production this season as Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Chris Webber, and Anthony Davis were the only other players in NBA history to average at least 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks before turning 21-years-old.

When comparing his averages of 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks before their third season in the NBA, the list was impressive. Anthony Davis, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol, Roy Hinson, Bob McAdoo, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo, Larry Nance, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Ralph Sampson, Mychal Thompson, Chris Webber, Herb Williams, and Hot Rod Williams were the other players to accomplish this feat.

Myles Turner has shown considerable improvement during his sophomore season and with a full summer to get stronger and to work on his skill-set, there is plenty of reason to believe that his third season in the NBA will be his most successful yet.