There’s no denying that Myles Turner is one of the best defenders in the world. Besides being a top-notch rim protector, his long, fast, and agile enough to guard opposing players all the way to the perimeter.
Turner’s length and defensive IQ make him deadly in switches also. Smaller players are cautious when he’s looming around the paint, and his ability to swat shots into the stands is right there at the top.
Then again, somehow, it seems like ESPN constantly snubs him when talking about the best defenders in the league, ruling him out of the Defensive Player of the Year conversation and now not even including him in their two All-Defensive teams of the season.
ESPN predicted that Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Draymond Green, and Rudy Gobert would make the first team All-Defense, adding Jrue Holiday, Lu Dort, Mattise Thybulle, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Clint Capela for the second team.
While there’s no denying that those players are worthy of some flowers for their outstanding defensive job, Turner was actually leading the league in blocks per game (3.4) before going down with an injury.
That’s why he couldn’t take it anymore and took to Twitter to roast ESPN for these two teams, asking how many more years they were going to snub him from their selections.
🤦🏾♂️ how many years in a row are we going to do this https://t.co/ylHQg5LEKp
— Myles Turner (@Original_Turner) May 12, 2021
That’s a valid question right there. The Indiana Pacers completely fell apart without Turner’s defensive presence, and how does a guy averaging 3.4 blocks per game not even make a second-team All-Defense?
Maybe Turner is yet another victim of a small market. He doesn’t get the praise and recognition he deserves because he plays for the Indiana Pacers, and that’s just wrong. He may not be this year’s Defensive Player of the Year but he’s one of the best stoppers in the league, that’s for sure.
