An Early-Season Look At NBA Draft Prospects For The Detroit Pistons
Name: Myles Turner
College/Year: Texas/Freshman
Position: PF/C
Current Stats: 12.5 PPG/7.0 RPG/1.0 APG
Nov 25, 2014; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Myles Turner (52) dunks against the St. Francis Red Flash during the second half at the Frank Erwin Special Events Center. Texas beat St. Francis 78-46. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Terada: The second player we’ll be analyzing is Myles Turner from Texas.
The most intriguing part about Turner’s game has to be he’s a big man that can shoot from the perimeter. He would fit well with Van Gundy’s system especially after what we saw from the Dwight Howard-era in Orlando.
Pistons fans have been clamoring for a Ryan Anderson-type of Power Forward to compliment Drummond’s interior game. Though that may not be the best right now as Drummond is still developing it’s still an exciting possibility. He’s different from your stereotypical stretch-4 though as he averages 3.1 BPG which brings a solid rim protector to the Pistons.
The only problem with bringing in a big man is that he’ll probably be blocked by Smith unless he gets traded. He might not get the playing time he needs as a prospect. Or the Pistons can go the Drummond-route and maybe average him around 20 MPG just like Drummond did his rookie season.
Overall though, Turner is an interesting project as he brings a different element than your traditional stretch-4.
Shah: Just like Souichi mentioned Turner brings a lot to the table.
The highly touted recruit out of the Class of 2014 looks the part of an NBA-ready stretch-4.
It is extremely rare to find a college big man that has a good-looking stroke and the confidence to shoot from the perimeter. The impact of a shooting big man in the NBA game is immense.
To me an NBA player that comes to mind is Rasheed Wallace. In his time for the Pistons he dominated games with his clutch outside shooting and defensive ability. Turner holds that similar potential. Except he could put on a little bit of weight in order to bang inside with NBA big men.
The part that stands out for me with Turner is his basketball IQ. In today’s NBA game the ability to run a pick-and-roll in the half-court system becomes immensely valuable. Kevin Love comes to mind when talking about the pick-and-roll game and his success with it is highly noted.
I think Turner would be a solid pickup for the Pistons and he plays the part of how Van Gundy wants to mold this team. Only problem that exists is the logjam with the front court right now but that has the potential to all change next summer.
Next: Karl Anthony-Towns