Myles Turner's performance in the Milwaukee Bucks' win over the Charlotte Hornets displayed everything fans have wanted to see from the big offseason signing. The center had an excellent two-way showing, displaying his scoring touch, crashing the glass, and protecting the paint, something Bucks fans have been waiting to see.
Turner does it all when Bucks needed it most
Milwaukee has won back-to-back games for the first time since the end of October. It has been a rough stretch both on and off the court. Giannis Antetokounmpo's future is constantly being discussed in the media, along with his injury, which has put extreme pressure on the team, and they have struggled to deal with it.
Turner has never been a go-to scorer in his career, but the Bucks needed that from him. Alongside Giannis in the frontcourt, it is clear he is a different beast, and the partnership is a perfect fit. On Monday night, he finished with 23 points, six rebounds, and four blocks while shooting an excellent 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) from the field and 3-of-5 (60 percent) from deep.
His ability to stretch the floor with Giannis attracting so much attention is exactly why the Bucks took the risk to bring in the big man. So far this season, Turner is shooting 37.2 percent from deep on 5.9 attempts per game, which is a career high. The Bucks made it clear coming into the season that their identity would heavily rely on shots from deep. They currently sit middle of the pack in attempts per game, but are third in the league in 3-point efficiency at 39.7 percent.
Defensively, the versatility that Turner brings was also a huge factor in his signing. Milwaukee's consecutive first-round playoff defeats to the Indiana Pacers highlighted their lack of athleticism and ability to switch on the defensive end. The defense has picked up of late, and the return of Giannis is, of course, key to that, but you can also see the overall levels of his teammates build from his presence.
There is still much to do for the Bucks with them half a game out of the Play-In spots, but the return of the two-time MVP just lifts spirits, and his post-game interviews have clearly revitalized some life into this team.
Turner still has more to add to his performances to confirm the Bucks made the right decision in signing him, but this is a start. The center needs to keep contributing on both ends of the floor, and alongside Giannis, they are a dangerous frontcourt pairing that can lift Milwaukee up towards their goals.