The Milwaukee Bucks pulled off an electric comeback over Miami on Tuesday, storming back for a 128-117 victory. For center Myles Turner, however, it was a different story. Limited to just 19 minutes in all and none in the fourth quarter, he saw his playing time redistributed to Jericho Sims and even Bobby Portis.
Fans have waited all season for Turner to turn it around, but at this point, that development may not be coming. The four-year, $109 million contract the Bucks gave him in free agency? Right now, it looks borderline untradeable. Over two-thirds into the season, it may be time to admit that the investment looks like one big mistake the front office will simply have to eat.
This mess might not be one the Bucks can clean up
Turner finished Tuesday night 1-for-5 from the field for two points, five rebounds, and two steals. He registered a minus-four in the box score. With Turner on the bench, the Bucks fell down by nine points early in the final period, but a lineup featuring Portis, Sims, and Ousmane Dieng engineered an 11-1 run. Doc Rivers closed with Portis, Sims, and three guards.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo out, Turner was Milwaukee's highest-paid player on the court. He sat and watched. Sims played 29 minutes to Turner's 19. Portis played 24. Dieng played 22.
To be fair, it was only his second game since returning from a calf strain. Even amid an underwhelming season, it was an atypically poor showing for Turner. He just gave them 14 points and two blocks versus Toronto.
That's just it, though. Even when Turner is "on," he isn't the force the Bucks paid him to be. He's averaging 12.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. He's still making his threes at a 38 percent clip, but his 44 percent overall field goal percentage is a career-low. As a Pacer, Turner shot 49.9 percent from the field in 10 seasons.
He produced at a higher volume, too, an element Milwaukee expected could only go up, given the greater opportunity. In his last three years in Indiana, Turner contributed 16.8 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks per contest. Despite the Bucks' need for secondary scoring, especially in the frontcourt with Giannis sidelined, Turner hasn't come close to being that guy.
It's not all on him. Doc Rivers and the rest of the coaching staff simply haven't utilized him properly. At this juncture, though, with over 50 games of evidence, what Turner can actually do without Tyrese Haliburton as his point guard is more debatable than ever.
Big picture, a subpar first season in Milwaukee might be far from the worst of it. Maybe that's all it is - a subpar first season as Turner transitions to a new environment. But waiving Damian Lillard to sign Turner, absorbing $113 million in the process, has hung the payroll with an albatross of dead money that could handcuff the team's future decisions.
If he isn't playing up to his contract, not even close to it, the Bucks won't even be able to trade him and salvage assets.
As of right now and for the foreseeable future, they're stuck with him. Turner might not be the cornerstone piece the franchise expected. Until further notice, the Bucks will just have to accept it.