An unfair amount of pressure was automatically placed on Myles Turner's shoulders when the Milwaukee Bucks shocked the NBA last summer. Their decision to waive and stretch Damian Lillard's contract, fresh off an Achilles tendon tear, was incredibly divisive, leaving Turner open to criticism by fans and pundits wondering how he could replace a Top 75 player's production.
Nonetheless, the Bucks' intentions were true. They aimed to put a perfect complementary player next to Giannis, who could protect the rim, space the floor and roam the court alongside a dominant force. In the process, they replaced a beloved figure in Brook Lopez, who aged out of the starting role and moved on to his next opportunity in Los Angeles.
When you dig into the data, it proves the front office's hypothesis: Giannis and Myles are a great on-court fit. Their 6.8 net rating as a duo was a vast departure from the team's -6.1 net on the season. That was without the structure he needs to be the best version of himself as a player, and whether Giannis is there or not, that necessary strategic change is coming to Milwaukee next season.
Taylor Jenkins' coaching style is perfect for Myles Turner
Under Doc Rivers, Turner was often left to his own devices. The Bucks were one of the most stagnant offensive units in basketball last year with lead guards and Giannis himself pounding the rock as shooters found themselves standing in the corner, waiting for a chance to touch the ball. Off-ball movement felt non-existent, forcing players to create shots for themselves instead of using their momentum and leveraging matchups to create for each other.
That's new head coach Taylor Jenkins' bread and butter. Aside from what he does as a culture setter, Jenkins knows how to put a floor-stretching big man in position to thrive. One of the greatest accomplishments of his Memphis Grizzlies tenure was unlocking Jaren Jackson Jr., who won Defensive Player of the Year and leapt into All-Star territory in Jenkins' system.
In addition to running more designed sets and plays next season, Turner will no longer be stuck in the corner to the extent that he was. He did a nice job in his role, hitting almost 44% of his corner threes and 38.3% of them on the season. But the three-pointers will come more organically when he's able to roam the court to exploit gaps in the defense and showcase his other skills.
Turner is more than just a floor-stretching big. He can explode at the rim when he gets a runway, or navigate the low block to drop in soft layups near the paint. His ability as a mid-range shooter was wasted away last season, and he barely got a post touch.
In a designed system under Rick Carlisle, Turner had some of the best seasons of his career. There was no such plan in place to optimize his minutes when Turner arrived in Milwaukee last year, with a serious emphasis on "random basketball" in the Doc Rivers era. Jenkins won't leave as much to chance, which means there'll be a more intentional effort to keep Turner involved on both sides of the floor.
If that's any indicator, the best of Myles Turner in Milwaukee is yet to come. He just needs the chance to prove it.
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