Myles Turner is averaging just 5.5 fourth-quarter minutes per game this season, the eighth most on the entire team. That's not a typo. The player that the Milwaukee Bucks willingly agreed to take on several years worth of dead money to sign by waiving and stretching Damian Lillard has been an afterthought in the rotation in the biggest moments of games. That's a bad look.
Rivers isn't rolling with Turner in big moments
It gets worse when looking closer. Over Milwaukee's last three games, Turner has averaged 2.3 fourth-quarter minutes, which ranks dead last on the team. They gave this man $108.9 million last offseason. Making matters worse is the fact that Giannis Antetokounmpo has missed almost this entire stretch due to a calf injury. Even with their star out, Turner has been out of the rotation.
Meanwhile, over these last three, Bobby Portis is averaging 8.5 fourth-quarter minutes, while Jericho Sims is at 3.6. Doc Rivers has tried to justify giving those two extended time, citing Portis playing well and Sims being an option as a roller. At times, they have given the Bucks a jolt, but at the end of the day, it's tough to stomach.
The Bucks have a two-way big man who was supposed to change everything, and he's playing behind these two.
Myles Turner isn't a perfect player, as one would like to see him rebound and attack the hoop with more aggressiveness, but he shouldn't be this buried in the rotation. He offers more on both ends than Sims, who has a limited offensive repertoire, and Portis, who remains a big liability defensively. Had the Bucks looked good in this stretch, it would be more justifiable. They have not.
The situation feels similar to how Rivers treated Andre Jackson Jr. Starting a good chunk of last year, Jackson often played well, but the second he made a mistake, Rivers would yank him off the floor and keep him glued to the bench for the rest of the night, even if the backup plan was not as impactful. The same is happening with Turner before the fans' eyes.
The big difference is that Jackson was on a rookie deal, while Myles Turner is the second-highest paid player on the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks are dysfunctional right now. There's no doubt about it. This is just one of the many examples that highlight it.
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