Myles Turner is one of the most versatile centers in the league. He is an elite rim protector who can also shoot from range. However, before he became a defensive powerhouse, Myles Turner was a rookie just like everyone else.
Every rookie has a "welcome to the NBA" moment, and Myles Turner was no different. In a recent interview with Mark Haynes, Turner revealed that his moment of that nature came when he had to play against DeMarcus Cousins in his prime. Prior to his injuries, DeMarcus Cousins was a top-tier scorer in the interior, while also having some perimeter skills. There's no doubt that prime Cousins would be a tough cover for most rookies. (15:08)
The very next night, we go to Sacramento to play, and I’m playing against prime Demarcus Cousins, and this is the Boogie that was in the post. People are accustom to the one shooting threes and with the handles. He was doing that a little, but he was straight low-post Demarcus Cousins at that point.
Bro was just abusing me. I think he probably put up 45. It might have been a 50 point game, but there was nothing I could do. There was not one thing I could do to stop him. You go from the high of scoring your career-high to low of just getting absolutely dominated. I legit looked at the coach in a timeout and said I don’t know what to do.
Injuries are an extremely unfortunate part of sports, and one could only imagine the havoc that DeMarcus Cousins would have continued to unleash on the league if he remained healthy. Turner got to witness Cousins' offensive prowess first hand, and there's no doubt that it must have been a pain to guard Cousins near the basket.
Myles Turner is far from the rookie that he once was, and he has developed into a fairly versatile player. The Indiana Pacers will look to him to be the anchor of their defense, and hopefully, Myles Turner will be able to have a great season.
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