The Milwaukee Bucks added Myles Turner in a last-ditch effort to save the Giannis Antetokounmpo era last offseason. It worked, but only temporarily. With the Greek Freak now in South Beach, there's no doubt that this move is a failure in the eyes of many. However, the story is far from over. Turner's second year with the Bucks could be a perfect opportunity for him to change the narrative.
Turner is just getting started with the Bucks
Year two with the Milwaukee Bucks will be a fresh start for Turner. Last year, he was viewed as the big-fish acquisition who could salvage what was a ship destined to sink. With Giannis seemingly having a foot out the door, Doc Rivers still coaching, and plenty of behind the scenes issues, thinking Turner's presence alone could make a difference was outlandish and clouded the overall view of this move.
Now, Turner can focus on playing basketball without that lofty expectation. The Bucks are no longer worried about satisfying a star player and having to go all-in every second. They are now an eager retooling squad—with an upgrade at the coaching spot—that thinks it will be better than it is being given credit for, and a veteran like Turner can help give them a puncher's chance every single night.
Turner's role in his second season with Bucks
On the court, not much will change for Turner in terms of what he will be asked to do, though he may have the chance to do it on a greater scale. Without Antetokounmpo's imposing interior defense, Turner is now the biggest threat around the hoop. Offensively, he will get plenty of looks beyond the perimeter as Milwaukee's abundance of playmakers seek him out. Easy.
The biggest area where Turner will have to take strides is in his leadership, given that he is one of the older players on the squad, especially with Giannis now gone. He had already done exceptionally well in that regard by hosting his Milwaukee Bucks teammates for a minicamp down in Texas, bringing the group together for some chemistry-building before the season.
It's exactly what the Milwaukee Bucks needed after a massive roster shift over the last few months.
Everyone is waiting to see how Turner will perform on the floor after a down year last year. He can't save the Giannis era anymore, but he can certainly help get this next one off to a great start. Just because last year went poorly doesn't mean this move was a failure. If the big man bounces back and plays like the stellar big man he was in Indiana, the Milwaukee Bucks can still look like winners here.
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