As the NBA Draft approaches on June 25, 2015, center, Myles Turner of the Texas Longhorns basketball team will look forward to being a top lottery pick.
Turner, highly recruited out of high school and the number one recruit in the nation by many scouts in 2014, chose the Longhorns over elite schools such as Kentucky, Duke, Arizona and Kansas.
It was a huge acquisition by the Horns as they were coming off a season with momentum. They surprised many in the 2013-2014 NCAA tournament as they advanced much farther than many expected, given how they performed in the regular season.
Although the 2013-2014 season didn’t have the “cinderella” ending UT wanted, they did open many eyes and showed much promise for the following season. So after landing Turner, the expectations rose and ESPN had UT ranked number seven in the preseason polls for the 2014-2015 season.
I mean, it made all the sense in the world. The majority of the team would be returning and you land the top recruit who brings intangibles many big men don’t possess.
The 2014-2015 season didn’t turn out the way it was expected too, as the Horns barely nudged themselves through to the NCAA Tournament. But one thing that did live up to expectations was Myles Turner himself.
The big man showed it all: the ability to handle the ball, the ability to stretch the court, to shoot the three ball and to post up and finish down low. Oh and let’s not forget the ability to block basketballs into the stands…. literally.
Even with all these intangibles the Horns couldn’t seem to mesh well and find that chemistry throughout the season. Perhaps it was because of injuries, the main one being to point guard, Isaiah Taylor, hurting his wrist and keeping him out a good portion of the season.
However, luckily for NBA teams, the Horns made it to the tournament and NBA scouts got to witness how Myles handled himself at a bigger stage rather than in the regular season. And the big man performed up to par every game.
Although the level of basketball the Texas Longorns played throughout the season wasn’t consistent, Myles Tuner’s level of performance always stayed consistent and that’s what NBA teams look for.
According to SI.com, they have Tuner going to the Sun’s at number 13. SI: “The Suns need offense up front, and while it might take two years for Turner to develop, his scoring potential is enticing. Turner is a perimeter-oriented center who proved at Texas that he can stretch the floor on one end and block shots and rebound on the other. He needs to get stronger, but there are not many rookies that don’t.”
According to Chad Ford of ESPN he has Tuner going at number 12 to the Jazz. “The Jazz are wisely being patient and letting their bevy of young talent develop naturally. They have players they like at all five positions and that gives them flexibility to draft for talent instead of need. They will be tempted to take Lyles, Kaminsky and Oubre here. But if Turner somehow falls to them at No. 12, they’ll have to seriously consider him. On pure talent, he’s a top-five pick. He’s a little more raw than a number of other players on the board, but the Jazz can afford to bring him along slowly. If he hits his ceiling, he’ll have the unique ability to play both the 4 and the 5, stretch the floor and be an elite rim protector.”
So Tuner expresses a ton of potential, but what team is going to be willing to draft him?
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